Boomeroid

The Boomeroid, image from the UFOpaedia

Official Entry: The Boomeroid is a devastating and terrifying weapon. It is actually a semi-intelligent device that hurls itself towards any moving organic target and then explodes when it reaches a pre-set range. The Boomeroid has to be primed for explosion proximity as well as time delay.

A Boomeroid is an alien proximity mine which can move itself closer to any unit moving within its detection zone by 'jumping in short hops' until close enough to explode.

• The detection range is sixteen cells radius which cannot be changed.
• The proximity range (selectable) is 10.5m maximum.
• The hop distance is typically four cells.

Detection

• A flying unit 'taking off' or 'landing' on the same level as the boomeroid, and within the 16-cell circle, will be detected.
• A flying unit directly above/below a boomeroid moving about, up, down, anywhere will not be detected unless the unit is on the same level as the bomb, even momentarily (eg: a unit falling off a roof, passing the same level as the bomb will cause it to react).
• Units moving behind a wall will cause the boomeroid to hop closer, but it won't explode even when the unit is within the bombs explode-distance setting until the bomb can 'see' the unit (eg: when a door opens).
• Battlescape features (rubble, dead trees, etc.) may block a boomeroid jump motion and may cause it to get stuck in it. It will hop on the spot if it wants to move towards someone.
• The shadow of a flying agent 'on' the boomeroid will prevent it from jumping towards any movement. This can be used to safely remove agents from the 16-cell radius if they cannot fly upwards. The boomeroid will behave like an armed Marsec proximity mine.

A boomeroid can be, like all explosives, set to explode on contact when thrown.

Stats

Boomeroid

Size: 2×2 Weight: 3 Power: 70 Damage Type: Explosive Blast Radius: 7 Base Price: $840 Battlescape Score: 7

See Also

• Alien Artifacts