Difference between revisions of "Alien Deployment (Long War)"

From UFOpaedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(→‎Battlescape: Still need to add in links and some additional information if I can think of any, but this should count as a start)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
== Battlescape ==
 
== Battlescape ==
  
−
Similar to vanilla, aliens tend to deploy in tiers, with new aliens being unlocked as time progresses.  In addition, aliens will gain substantial bonuses from research, adding health, aim, DR and mobility increases in addition to new perks. 
+
XCOM will end up conducting a variety of [[Missions_(Long_War)|ground operations]] against alien [[forces]], sometimes for the purposes of countering active alien operations like [[Missions_(Long_War)#Terror_Site|Terror Attacks]] and [[Missions_(Long_War)#Alien_Abductions|Abductions]] but equally as often for the purposes of raiding supplies and resources from [[Missions_(Long_War)#UFO_Crash_Site|downed]] or [[Missions_(Long_War)#UFO_Landing_Site|landed]] alien UFOs.  In addition, the council typically assigns XCOM with some [[Missions_(Long_War)#Council_Missions|critical mission]] each month from a random pool, from rescuing special VIPs to disabling bombs.
−
Month One will be dominated by Sectoids and Drones, with Thin Men making appearances for Council missions. 
 
−
Month Two adds Floaters, Seekers and random pods of Thin Men to the mix, and is when Terror Missions featuring Chryssalids are first introduced.  Be warned, on higher difficulties Floaters and Thin Men show at the end of March.
 
  
−
In May, 2016 EXALT come to the fray, as constant thorn in the side of Xcom, and will likely see the late introduction of Mutons.
+
XCOM will encounter various [[alien types]] in these ground operations; each alien type is typically specialized for a unique role in combat.  As Aliens further their [[research]] into humanity, their ground forces will gain increased health, damage, aim, and so on, and even access to many of the same kinds of [[perks]] XCOM utilizes, as befitting their designated role.  Furthermore, as their research progresses the aliens will field more advanced and lethal alien types.
−
Following Mutons are Cyberdiscs and Mechtoids, adding a substantial mech element to the mix.  Be sure to have HEAT weaponry available by the time these missions spawn, as mech DR is no laughing matter.  Berserkers, Muton Elites, and Heavy Floaters follow slowly, with Sectopods and Ethereals making appearances in the late, late game.  
 
  
−
Pod counts increase over time, though some rounds can contain as little as two dependent on alien resources. Pods can often be mixed, but typically always include some form of squad leader, a notably healthier member of the squad who may have a higher count of unique abilities.  In the later months pods can also include "bosses", who are larger, can boast over twice as many hit points, and have a plethora of skills.  Expect Squad-Sight Thinmen, Giant Drones and Chryssalids, and many other towering terrors. Bosses and squad leaders will also occasionaly come with scouting navigators in addition to the regular led pod.
+
While a particular type may not be too threatening by itself, the various alien types tend to synergize well; for instance, [[Thin Men]] are good at pinning XCOM down into a long range war of attrition using their Acid Spit, good aim, & Suppression - this can allow the high mobility Floaters, a flying enemy type, to close in and flank XCOM.  That said, aliens coordinate poorly at the tactical level, taking actions in isolation without considering any synergy with other units and without formulating any kind of cohesive tactical plan.  Each alien evaluates the current state of the battlefield as its turn comes up, chooses an action based on it's AI routine (which varies from alien to alien depending on their capabilities and tendencies), and then executes it; if it uses Suppression, for instance, it's because it doesn't have a very good shot but does have good cover, not because an ally has an effective means to flank in the next turn. In short, aliens have a numerical and technological advantage but they can be beaten with superior tactics.
  
−
Another particular feature is the existince of a main pod, usually on UFOs and usually the one containing Outsiders. Once triggered all remaining pods will be alarmed and drawn to the location of the main pod. This main be a good way to set up ambushes as well as a sure way to experience a squad wipe if you are not ready for 3+ pods zoning in on your position.
+
Aliens typically deploy in '''Pods''', or groups of between 4-10 aliens which become activated in unison if any individual member spots an XCOM operative.  Some select missions may involve "drop ins", or enemies that spawn mid-mission.  Drop ins always spawn behind cover and overwatching, and are automatically activated.  Drop ins are almost always Thin Men, though other alien types are possible depending on the mission.
 +
 
 +
=== Pods ===
 +
 
 +
Pods are typically comprised of one '''Squad Leader''' (often possessed with noticeably more stats and perks) & several regular troopers whose [[type]] is related to the leader and who have a chance to receive various upgrades dependent upon [[Alien Research]].  Later in the game, [[Bosses]] with noticeably larger models and massive HP pools make an appearance in certain missions.
 +
 
 +
Pod composition is dependent upon the [[type of pod]] & the randomly determined leader, with leaders tending to contain supporting troopers of the same or lesser type.  For instance, [[Mechtoid]] pods tend to contain several [[Sectoids]], whose [[Mind Merge]] ability can empower the Mechtoid with a powerful [[Psi Shield]], while [[Cyberdisk]] pods tend to contain [[Drones]] which focus on [[Repairing]] damage dealt to the Cyberdisk; conversely, pods led by [[Thin Men]] or [[Sectoids]] only contain units of the same type as the leader.  The quantity of aliens in a pod is dependent upon overall Alien Research as well as the total number of aliens on mission; pods are rolled randomly and random numbers of aliens are added to said pods until all available units have been assigned.  Quantity and quality of aliens are not dependent at all on [[Alien Resources]], despite rumors to the contrary.
 +
 
 +
While members of a given pod do not coordinate amongst themselves any better than disparate aliens from different pods will, there is one significant mechanic which is pod-depedent: '''retreat mode'''. If a large portion of aliens of a given pod are destroyed (usually all but 1-3 depending on the original size), the surviving members of the pod will begin to fall back, retreating out of sight of XCOM and toward good cover or other, unactivated pods.  The aliens will remain in retreat mode until they enter back into vision of XCOM again, though destroying more units from the pod is sufficient to resume the retreat.  Aliens entering into retreat mode will be identified by visual and auditory cues; the camera will pan toward the alien shouting or talking, and one of your soldiers will mention that they're falling back.
 +
 
 +
Conversely, if XCOM is pushed back by the aliens, they'll call for reinforcements to hunt them down.  In general, if active aliens exist on the map, aren't in retreat mode, and none of them has any XCOM operatives in sight range at the end of the aliens turn, they'll call all unactivated pods on the map to help them hunt down XCOM.  Each unactivated pod will begin moving toward XCOMs current location inexorably, and short of retreating or being wiped out the only escape is to defeat all such enemies.
 +
 
 +
=== Pod Types ===
 +
 
 +
Pods come in three basic types: Soldier Pods, Terror Pods & Command Pods. Soldier pods pull from a pool of most aliens and comprise the vast majority of pods encountered on all missions; Terror Pods pull from a slightly different pool.  Command Pods only appear in UFOs and have relatively rigid compositions.  Lastly, for [[Covert Operations]], Exalt have special mechanics which govern the quantity and size of their pods.
 +
 
 +
'''Soldier Pods'''
 +
 
 +
Soldier Pods are the most common type of pod, appearing as the majority pod type in every mission except [[Terror Sites]] & [[Covert Operations]].
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! colspan=3 | Soldier Pod Type Probabilities
 +
|-
 +
!iMonth
 +
!Pod Type
 +
!Probability
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=2 | 0
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 76%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 24%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=4 | 1
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 29%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 37%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 35%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=6 | 2
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 21%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 26%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 20%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 17%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=6 | 3
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 12%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 26%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 19%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 16%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 21%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=7 | 4
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 22%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 16%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 15%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 22%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=8 | 5
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 20%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 16%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 20%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=9 | 6
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 15%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 12%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 19%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 20%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=11 | 7
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 17%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 17%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=12 | 8
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=13 | 9
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 12%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=13 | 10
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=13 | 11
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=14 | 12
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Ethereal
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=15 | 13+
 +
| Sectoid
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Drone
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectopod
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Ethereal
 +
| 3%
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
'''Terror Pods'''
 +
 
 +
Terror pods are a special type of pod that only appear in [[Terror Sites]], [[Large UFOs]], [[Trap UFOs]], [[Alien Base Assault]], and [[Retaliation]] missions.  They tend to have a greater probability of being higher-mobility aliens, and are the only pod which contains Chryssalids.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align: center;"
 +
! colspan=3 | Terror Pod Type Probabilities
 +
|-
 +
!iMonth
 +
!Pod Type
 +
!Probability
 +
|-
 +
| 0
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 100%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=3 | 1
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 62%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 25%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=4 | 2
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 47%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 19%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 25%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=6 | 3
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 40%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 17%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 21%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisk
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=6 | 4
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 32%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 17%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 24%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=8 | 5
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 29%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 15%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 21%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=8 | 6
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 26%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 19%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=10 | 7
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 26%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 18%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 10%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=13 | 8
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 20%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 11%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 15%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 9%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT Elite
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=14 | 9
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 20%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 15%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT Elite
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=15 | 10
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 19%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT Elite
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectopod
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=16 | 11
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 18%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 14%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT Elite
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectopod
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Ethereal
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=16 | 12
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 18%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 2%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT Elite
 +
| 6%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectopod
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Ethereal
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan=16 | 13+
 +
| Chryssalid
 +
| 17%
 +
|-
 +
| Floater
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Thin Man
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Seeker
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| Cyberdisc
 +
| 13%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Berserker
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectoid Commander
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Mechtoid (Alt)
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy Floater
 +
| 7%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT
 +
| 3%
 +
|-
 +
| EXALT Elite
 +
| 5%
 +
|-
 +
| Muton Elite
 +
| 4%
 +
|-
 +
| Sectopod
 +
| 8%
 +
|-
 +
| Ethereal
 +
| 3%
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
'''Command Pods'''
 +
 
 +
UFOs additionally have a special pod called the Command Pod which contains a fixed number of aliens based on UFO type.  Outsiders are the most common type, though Sectoid Commanders can replace them after XCOM [[assaults]] it's first [[alien base]], and Ethereals start appearing after the [[Ethereal Device]] is recovered.  Thin Men may also appear in very early months in place of Outsiders on [[Large UFOs]].  Be warned: if a Command Pod spots XCOM and activates, it will immediately call all remaining alien forces on the map to its current location; this makes an early engagement against the command pod an incredibly risky affair.
 +
 
 +
'''EXALT'''
 +
 
 +
While EXALT have a chance of appearing in Terror Pods, they appear most often in [[Covert Operations]].  A typical [[covert extraction]] contains one large pod of 15+ EXALT (and EXALT elites, after month 3), as well as several smaller pods of 1-3 EXALT.  If XCOM activates any pod and fails to kill them immediately, the remaining pods will begin slowly converging on XCOMs location.  In contrast, [[data recovery]] contains several pods of 4-6 EXALT who behave as most pods do.  All covert operations include drop ins of lone EXALT operatives who may or may not appear in cover and may or may not overwatch.
  
 
== Geoscape ==
 
== Geoscape ==

Revision as of 01:42, 19 May 2016

Long War Main Page

Battlescape

XCOM will end up conducting a variety of ground operations against alien forces, sometimes for the purposes of countering active alien operations like Terror Attacks and Abductions but equally as often for the purposes of raiding supplies and resources from downed or landed alien UFOs. In addition, the council typically assigns XCOM with some critical mission each month from a random pool, from rescuing special VIPs to disabling bombs.

XCOM will encounter various alien types in these ground operations; each alien type is typically specialized for a unique role in combat. As Aliens further their research into humanity, their ground forces will gain increased health, damage, aim, and so on, and even access to many of the same kinds of perks XCOM utilizes, as befitting their designated role. Furthermore, as their research progresses the aliens will field more advanced and lethal alien types.

While a particular type may not be too threatening by itself, the various alien types tend to synergize well; for instance, Thin Men are good at pinning XCOM down into a long range war of attrition using their Acid Spit, good aim, & Suppression - this can allow the high mobility Floaters, a flying enemy type, to close in and flank XCOM. That said, aliens coordinate poorly at the tactical level, taking actions in isolation without considering any synergy with other units and without formulating any kind of cohesive tactical plan. Each alien evaluates the current state of the battlefield as its turn comes up, chooses an action based on it's AI routine (which varies from alien to alien depending on their capabilities and tendencies), and then executes it; if it uses Suppression, for instance, it's because it doesn't have a very good shot but does have good cover, not because an ally has an effective means to flank in the next turn. In short, aliens have a numerical and technological advantage but they can be beaten with superior tactics.

Aliens typically deploy in Pods, or groups of between 4-10 aliens which become activated in unison if any individual member spots an XCOM operative. Some select missions may involve "drop ins", or enemies that spawn mid-mission. Drop ins always spawn behind cover and overwatching, and are automatically activated. Drop ins are almost always Thin Men, though other alien types are possible depending on the mission.

Pods

Pods are typically comprised of one Squad Leader (often possessed with noticeably more stats and perks) & several regular troopers whose type is related to the leader and who have a chance to receive various upgrades dependent upon Alien Research. Later in the game, Bosses with noticeably larger models and massive HP pools make an appearance in certain missions.

Pod composition is dependent upon the type of pod & the randomly determined leader, with leaders tending to contain supporting troopers of the same or lesser type. For instance, Mechtoid pods tend to contain several Sectoids, whose Mind Merge ability can empower the Mechtoid with a powerful Psi Shield, while Cyberdisk pods tend to contain Drones which focus on Repairing damage dealt to the Cyberdisk; conversely, pods led by Thin Men or Sectoids only contain units of the same type as the leader. The quantity of aliens in a pod is dependent upon overall Alien Research as well as the total number of aliens on mission; pods are rolled randomly and random numbers of aliens are added to said pods until all available units have been assigned. Quantity and quality of aliens are not dependent at all on Alien Resources, despite rumors to the contrary.

While members of a given pod do not coordinate amongst themselves any better than disparate aliens from different pods will, there is one significant mechanic which is pod-depedent: retreat mode. If a large portion of aliens of a given pod are destroyed (usually all but 1-3 depending on the original size), the surviving members of the pod will begin to fall back, retreating out of sight of XCOM and toward good cover or other, unactivated pods. The aliens will remain in retreat mode until they enter back into vision of XCOM again, though destroying more units from the pod is sufficient to resume the retreat. Aliens entering into retreat mode will be identified by visual and auditory cues; the camera will pan toward the alien shouting or talking, and one of your soldiers will mention that they're falling back.

Conversely, if XCOM is pushed back by the aliens, they'll call for reinforcements to hunt them down. In general, if active aliens exist on the map, aren't in retreat mode, and none of them has any XCOM operatives in sight range at the end of the aliens turn, they'll call all unactivated pods on the map to help them hunt down XCOM. Each unactivated pod will begin moving toward XCOMs current location inexorably, and short of retreating or being wiped out the only escape is to defeat all such enemies.

Pod Types

Pods come in three basic types: Soldier Pods, Terror Pods & Command Pods. Soldier pods pull from a pool of most aliens and comprise the vast majority of pods encountered on all missions; Terror Pods pull from a slightly different pool. Command Pods only appear in UFOs and have relatively rigid compositions. Lastly, for Covert Operations, Exalt have special mechanics which govern the quantity and size of their pods.

Soldier Pods

Soldier Pods are the most common type of pod, appearing as the majority pod type in every mission except Terror Sites & Covert Operations.

Soldier Pod Type Probabilities
iMonth Pod Type Probability
0 Sectoid 76%
Drone 24%
1 Sectoid 29%
Drone 9%
Floater 37%
Thin Man 35%
2 Sectoid 21%
Drone 6%
Floater 26%
Thin Man 20%
Seeker 17%
Muton 10%
3 Sectoid 12%
Drone 6%
Floater 26%
Thin Man 19%
Seeker 16%
Muton 21%
4 Sectoid 10%
Drone 6%
Floater 22%
Thin Man 16%
Seeker 15%
Muton 22%
Cyberdisc 9%
5 Sectoid 10%
Drone 5%
Floater 20%
Thin Man 16%
Seeker 13%
Muton 20%
Cyberdisc 8%
Mechtoid 8%
6 Sectoid 9%
Drone 5%
Floater 6%
Thin Man 15%
Seeker 12%
Muton 19%
Cyberdisc 8%
Mechtoid 6%
Berserker 20%
7 Sectoid 8%
Drone 3%
Floater 6%
Thin Man 13%
Seeker 11%
Muton 17%
Cyberdisc 7%
Mechtoid 6%
Berserker 17%
Sectoid Commander 6%
Mechtoid (Alt) 6%
8 Sectoid 6%
Drone 3%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 10%
Seeker 9%
Muton 13%
Cyberdisc 9%
Mechtoid 10%
Berserker 14%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 4%
Heavy Floater 14%
9 Sectoid 7%
Drone 2%
Floater 5%
Thin Man 9%
Seeker 7%
Muton 12%
Cyberdisc 9%
Mechtoid 11%
Berserker 7%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 5%
Heavy Floater 14%
Muton Elite 8%
10 Sectoid 6%
Drone 3%
Floater 5%
Thin Man 9%
Seeker 7%
Muton 11%
Cyberdisc 9%
Mechtoid 11%
Berserker 7%
Sectoid Commander 9%
Mechtoid (Alt) 5%
Heavy Floater 11%
Muton Elite 7%
11 Sectoid 6%
Drone 3%
Floater 5%
Thin Man 9%
Seeker 7%
Muton 11%
Cyberdisc 9%
Mechtoid 11%
Berserker 7%
Sectoid Commander 9%
Mechtoid (Alt) 5%
Heavy Floater 11%
Muton Elite 7%
12 Sectoid 6%
Drone 2%
Floater 5%
Thin Man 8%
Seeker 7%
Muton 10%
Cyberdisc 8%
Mechtoid 11%
Berserker 6%
Sectoid Commander 8%
Mechtoid (Alt) 5%
Heavy Floater 9%
Muton Elite 11%
Ethereal 4%
13+ Sectoid 6%
Drone 2%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 8%
Seeker 6%
Muton 10%
Cyberdisc 8%
Mechtoid 10%
Berserker 6%
Sectoid Commander 8%
Mechtoid (Alt) 6%
Heavy Floater 9%
Muton Elite 10%
Sectopod 3%
Ethereal 3%

Terror Pods

Terror pods are a special type of pod that only appear in Terror Sites, Large UFOs, Trap UFOs, Alien Base Assault, and Retaliation missions. They tend to have a greater probability of being higher-mobility aliens, and are the only pod which contains Chryssalids.

Terror Pod Type Probabilities
iMonth Pod Type Probability
0 Chryssalid 100%
1 Chryssalid 62%
Floater 25%
Thin Man 13%
2 Chryssalid 47%
Floater 19%
Thin Man 9%
Seeker 25%
3 Chryssalid 40%
Floater 17%
Thin Man 8%
Seeker 21%
Muton 9%
Cyberdisk 5%
4 Chryssalid 32%
Floater 14%
Thin Man 6%
Seeker 17%
Muton 7%
Cyberdisc 24%
5 Chryssalid 29%
Floater 11%
Thin Man 6%
Seeker 15%
Muton 6%
Cyberdisc 21%
Berserker 3%
Mechtoid 9%
6 Chryssalid 26%
Floater 11%
Thin Man 6%
Seeker 13%
Muton 6%
Cyberdisc 19%
Mechtoid 8%
Berserker 11%
7 Chryssalid 26%
Floater 5%
Thin Man 5%
Seeker 14%
Muton 5%
Cyberdisc 18%
Mechtoid 8%
Berserker 10%
Sectoid Commander 5%
Mechtoid (Alt) 4%
8 Chryssalid 20%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 4%
Seeker 11%
Muton 4%
Cyberdisc 15%
Mechtoid 8%
Berserker 9%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 2%
Heavy Floater 9%
EXALT 3%
EXALT Elite 7%
9 Chryssalid 20%
Floater 5%
Thin Man 4%
Seeker 6%
Muton 4%
Cyberdisc 15%
Mechtoid 8%
Berserker 8%
Sectoid Commander 2%
Mechtoid (Alt) 2%
Heavy Floater 8%
EXALT 4%
EXALT Elite 6%
Muton Elite 5%
10 Chryssalid 19%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 4%
Seeker 6%
Muton 4%
Cyberdisc 14%
Mechtoid 8%
Berserker 7%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 3%
Heavy Floater 8%
EXALT 3%
EXALT Elite 6%
Muton Elite 4%
Sectopod 6%
11 Chryssalid 18%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 4%
Seeker 5%
Muton 4%
Cyberdisc 14%
Mechtoid 7%
Berserker 8%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 2%
Heavy Floater 8%
EXALT 3%
EXALT Elite 6%
Muton Elite 3%
Sectopod 6%
Ethereal 3%
12 Chryssalid 18%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 3%
Seeker 5%
Muton 4%
Cyberdisc 13%
Mechtoid 8%
Berserker 7%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 2%
Heavy Floater 7%
EXALT 3%
EXALT Elite 6%
Muton Elite 4%
Sectopod 8%
Ethereal 3%
13+ Chryssalid 17%
Floater 4%
Thin Man 4%
Seeker 5%
Muton 3%
Cyberdisc 13%
Mechtoid 7%
Berserker 7%
Sectoid Commander 4%
Mechtoid (Alt) 5%
Heavy Floater 7%
EXALT 3%
EXALT Elite 5%
Muton Elite 4%
Sectopod 8%
Ethereal 3%

Command Pods

UFOs additionally have a special pod called the Command Pod which contains a fixed number of aliens based on UFO type. Outsiders are the most common type, though Sectoid Commanders can replace them after XCOM assaults it's first alien base, and Ethereals start appearing after the Ethereal Device is recovered. Thin Men may also appear in very early months in place of Outsiders on Large UFOs. Be warned: if a Command Pod spots XCOM and activates, it will immediately call all remaining alien forces on the map to its current location; this makes an early engagement against the command pod an incredibly risky affair.

EXALT

While EXALT have a chance of appearing in Terror Pods, they appear most often in Covert Operations. A typical covert extraction contains one large pod of 15+ EXALT (and EXALT elites, after month 3), as well as several smaller pods of 1-3 EXALT. If XCOM activates any pod and fails to kill them immediately, the remaining pods will begin slowly converging on XCOMs location. In contrast, data recovery contains several pods of 4-6 EXALT who behave as most pods do. All covert operations include drop ins of lone EXALT operatives who may or may not appear in cover and may or may not overwatch.

Geoscape

Aliens begin the invasion by taking over a target country to establish a base of operations, choosing a random continent that is not the same as the players starting continent and then choosing a random country in said continent. At some point in March of the first year, the chosen country will inexplicably leave XCOM, seemingly without warning; in reality, the aliens launched a large-scale operation called an Infiltration mission in which they capture and controlled the local leadership, setting up a Base to project their influence and coordinate operations. To prevent further Infiltration missions, XCOM will have to maintain a constant pressure over the aliens in the coming months, denying the aliens success in their ground and air operations so that they view XCOM as a more important Threat, or denying and starving the aliens of Resources; either is sufficient to prevent aliens from capturing countries instantly, though XCOM will still have to deal with the spread of panic which, if allowed to reach critical levels, provides aliens with a window to capture countries smoothly and easily without the use of the relatively expensive Infiltration mission.

Air Operations

The aliens conduct various UFO missions in the air to achieve their nefarious ends and support their invasion effort. Missions are planned monthly, at the start of the month, and take into consideration Alien Resources and the Threat Level the aliens perceive XCOM to represent. Damaging, shooting down, destroying and/or raiding UFOs is one of few means of denying & depriving the aliens of resources; ironically, doing so also increases threat, so XCOM always finds itself caught between protecting countries from a surge in alien resources and protecting itself from a surge in perceived threat.

The Aliens primary strategy is to invade and take over the globe; they perform this by capturing countries, focusing on those adjacent to their existing holdings first before expanding outward to other continents. Bombing runs and Terror missions are used to spread Panic to targeted countries to allow the aliens a window to infiltrate and control the local leadership and then install a base; with enough resources, however, the aliens will attempt Infiltration missions to capture countries directly regardless of panic levels.

The aliens will attempt to Scout out and then Hunt down satellites to deny XCOM their primary means of engaging satellites, focusing first on protecting their own bases from being raided before striking at XCOM-controlled airspace to deny XCOM air superiority. The Aliens' available intelligence on XCOM satellites is abstracted somewhat: they will spend their monthly Hunt missions - representing satellites they've located through other means - to strike at XCOM satellites directly; conversely, they'll spend their monthly Scout missions - representing satellites that have in some way eluded their notice - to try and locate satellites, spawning an additional Hunt mission over and above their monthly supply if the mission is successful.

If the aliens consider XCOM a large enough threat, they will begin to focus their efforts on sabotaging XCOM operations directly. Above-average resources and threat is sufficient grounds to get them to send a ground team after your Interceptor Bases, though they'll only start doing so once XCOM has built it's first Firestorm. They'll even initiate an assault on XCOM Headquarters directly, though this requires a few months of maximum threat and resources to get the aliens to take such drastic & costly measures. High threat will also increase the likelihood that the aliens will attempt to trap XCOM ground forces by sending a larger contingent of aliens to a given landed UFO than normal, though keep in mind that only UFOs that have successfully landed can be traps.

The aliens also run various missions across the globe to support their invasion efforts: Research missions to give their air and ground forces a numerical edge in combat and Harvest missions to increase their supply of Resources so that they can field more missions and more powerful UFOs. Denying the aliens the ability to do either helps in the long term, though the need to respond is not as dire as it is for other missions. On top of that, at high enough threat, the aliens will often try to avoid XCOM-controlled countries when harvesting resources, though being forced to choose less optimal sites reduces the return. Lastly, aliens will also conduct Abduction missions - for nebulous and mysterious reasons that may tie in with their overall purpose for invasions. Abduction missions don't particularly help the aliens or hurt XCOM, though failing to respond to them will still spread panic.

Alien Bases

As the aliens expand their coverage over the globe, they install Bases to exert pressure and control over the local government (likely via psionics). Where XCOM fails to present itself as an adequate threat and given a surge in resources, the aliens will capture target countries directly with a large scale military operation; that said, a country too busy managing it's own panicking citizens due to unchecked alien activity will effectively hand itself over on a silver platter. Regardless of the method, the country will withdraw from the council, and soon an Alien Base will be constructed on the target country to cement their foothold.

Alien Bases provide aliens with a selection of benefits:

  1. They exert control over a target country, preventing it from returning to the XCOM project while the base is intact. Captures countries will no longer provide XCOM funding & will not make requests to the council; as a consequence, XCOMs means of acquiring additional income & personnel is disrupted. Finally, XCOM will be deprived of any country & continent bonuses associated with the given country, though XCOMs starting country bonus will not be removed.
  2. They provide the aliens a monthly supply of Bonus Research, which steadily increases the capabilities of their air and ground forces. More research means more enemy types and higher-leveled enemies, as well as more powerful UFOs.
  3. They provide the aliens with a steady supply of Resources, which allows them to run more dangerous air operations more frequently & using more powerful UFOs.

XCOM can return the country to the council by successfully assaulting the base, though locating them requires progressing far enough through the main plot and installing a satellite over the target country.

Deployment & iMonths

Aliens measure months as a fixed 28 days, referred to in the games code as iMonths. This, obviously, does not correspond with the way humans measure months, but of course there's no reason to believe aliens would! The following chart indicates the start of each iMonth as it corresponds with Gregorian calendar dates; as the chart indicates, a little more than thirteen iMonths pass each calendar year.

iMonth In-game Date
0 03.01.16
1 03.29.16
2 04.26.16
3 05.24.16
4 06.21.16
5 07.19.16
6 08.16.16
7 09.13.16
8 10.11.16
9 11.08.16
10 12.06.16
11 01.03.17
12 01.31.17
13 02.28.17

See also

Head red 2.png Long War: Aliens 
Aliens

Alien Life Forms • Alien Missions • Alien Deployment • Alien Artifacts • Alien Research • Alien Resources • UFOs • XCOM Threat

Retrieved from "https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Alien_Deployment_(Long_War)&oldid=72128"