Alien Overview (Apocalypse)

Note, the threat ratings for some aliens will differ against Androids or hybrids. These will be duly noted. Also the Overspawn is not a battlescape alien so is not included in the analysis.

Low threat

Multiworm Egg

The mutliworm egg is the first phase of the multiworm life cycle. It is armed with a weak short ranged spit attack that allows it to defend itself against any would be attackers.

Chryssalis

The chryssalis is the second stage of the multiworm after its egg phase, and is completely defenceless. Apart from serving as ideal targets for shooting practice, they pose no threat and are automatically recovered by the mission's end.

Spitter

Spitters are pink humanoids with no heads. Instead, they spit acid from their necks towards their targets.

Spitters are relatively easy enemies to fight, however their spit attack can be very dangerous if underestimated. They generally do their worst when fighting in groups or when they are lucky enough to score several critical hits in a short amount of time.

Medium threat

Brainsuckers

Brainsuckers are small aliens that resemble a basketball with a proboscis nose and small finger-like legs. They are small and fast and can leap great hights. They are transported in an inert state in small pods.

Once they hatch from their pods, they have a very short lifespan that only lasts long enough for them to inject an amount of Micronoids directly into a host's brain in order to seize complete control. They generally latch their proboscis onto the host's neck and inject the micronoid directly into the host. The brainsucker dies immediately after the micronoid aggregates invade the host. With their speed and ability to jump great heights, they pose a fairly dangerous threat to agents that are not vigilant.

Brainsuckers also have a small mental flaw that causes them to stun themselves if they attempt to jump on an agent that is lying prone on the ground.

Against Androids, Brainsuckers are a non-existent threat since they are not capable of actively targeting androids - unless they somehow land on the android by mistake.

Psimorph

Primorphs are a psionic being that resemble a large bunch of green tentacles the size of a Megaspawn. They floats freely through the air.

By itself a psimorph is a low threat and makes for a very easy target due to its large size. Its psionic attacks however can disrupt your agents and turn them against themselves.

Against androids and skilled hybrids, the psimorph poses a non-existent threat.

Micronoid Aggregate

The masterminds behind the alien threat. They are a minute species of psionic alien that resemble a puddle of slime. Their only means of attack is through powerful psionic attacks.

As with the Psimorph, the micronoid is a non-existent threat to androids and well trained hybrids.

Hyperworm

The hyperworm is the small offspring of a deceased multiworm. When the multiworm dies, four hyperworms spring from its body to deal one last blow to the multiworm's attackers.

Hyperworms are relatively weak and have a short ranged spit attack that does minor damage. They can do significant damage when they fight in swarms. Setting fire to the multiworm just before it dies ensures that the hyperworms get fried almost the moment they appear. Any explosives are capable of dealing with one or several hyperworms fairly easily.

High threat

Multiworm

The multiworm is the mature stage of the multiworm life cycle. It is a very tough large worm that is able to launch a rapid fire spit attack against nearby agents. This short to medium ranged attack is very powerful, and the massive amount of health that the multiworm has allows it withstand a fair beating before it goes down. On its death it releases four hyperworms that attempt to swarm towards the nearest attacker.

Popper

The popper is a bomb with legs. It's a sad looking blue veiny creature that lives its life carrying a veritable chemical plant inside of its body. As soon as it finds its prey, it gets excited and the chemicals react and cause a powerful explosion. This blows the popper away and everything near it.

The popper is very agile and can move at an amazing pace across the battlefield. Its body heat causes it to leave wafts of smoke wherever it runs. The only way to defend against these enemies is to constantly be on alert, or to be flying well out of its reach.

Other explosions or hard bullets from any conventional firearm will cause the popper to explode. Gas and energy weapons like the stun grapple, power sword, plasma gun or disrupter gun are able to safely disable the popper without causing it to explode. A popper dying from blood loss will also explode.

Anthropod

The anthropod is the basic foot soldier of the alien invasion. They look like blue veiny blobs with elephant limbs. Despite their almost comical appearance, they are very deadly depending on their armament.

The anthropod is one of the two aliens available to the aliens that are capable of wielding tools. Depending on their equipment, their threat rating will vary.

Skeletoid

The skeletoid is a patchwork man that looks like yellow material stretched across a framework of bones stuck together in a very haphazard manner. Some form of mechanism inside them allows them to hover in the air.

In addition to their hovering ability, they are identical to the anthropod in threat and function.

Queenspawn

The ultimate form and mother of the multiworms. It is the largest creature that you will face. Due to its size, it is immobile. It makes up for this by having an incredibly corrosive long ranged acid attack that can kill even the most heavily protected agent.

Although the queenspawn can only attack forwards, it is placed on a dais that is surrounded by a solid organic alien building wall on one side, and laser curtains are provided on each of its sides to prevent the dais from being flanked. This means that is impossible for any enemy to approach it from its blind sides. Four reenforcement teleport teleport pads provide additional troops for it.

Capture of this alien allows for progression of the anti-alien toxin weapon research.

Megaspawn

The Megaspawn is an alien built like a tank that is armed with a built-in disrupter beam that is as powerful as a Devestator cannon and a seemingly endless supply of dimension missiles. One Megaspawn can easily lay waste to an unprepared team of agents.

They are not without their faults, and their size is one of them. Their larger size makes them easier targets to hit. While it is not always the case, they appear to have some reluctance to fight agents that are right up next to them and will turn and run.