Boomeroid
An alien proximity mine with a difference. The aliens aquire these roughly at the same time as the Vortex Mine, and tend to be used gratuitously by Anthropods and Skeletoids. While it is comparabley weak compared to other alien explosives, it's deadliness is enhanced by a unique feature: the grenade has the ability of independant movement. If the Boomeroid senses motion beyond it's pre-set detonation range, it responds by leaping in the direction of the moving target and detonating when it reaches the required distance. The Boomeroid can cover several squares in a single bound and can move faster than most agents - continuing to run once a grenade begins it's pursuit will most likely result in the explosive catching up and causing serious injury. There are methods to escape, however:
- Flight - The grenades cannot sense vertical motion. A flight-capable agent can fly upwards until they are out of range of the blast. [Note: I haven't played the game in a while - can someone confirm this? Thanks. Senryu 08:23, 18 June 2006 (PDT) ]
- Prematurely detonating the mine with explosive weapons.
- Standing still and hoping it chooses another target, or leading it off with another agent.
The Boomeroid doesn't pack a particularly huge punch, but is capable of softening up the tougher aliens, and cutting down shields quickly. When you first face aliens with this weapon, Anthropods especially will toss them around like confetti often causing massive damage to the building you are fighting in and occasionally killing a soldier or two. It is a step up from Marsec Proximity Mines in firepower. It is also very common, and is used enough by the aliens later on that there will often be more than enough for routine use, even after Dimension Missiles and Vortex Mines are in use by the aliens.
Overall, it is a rather dissapointing and unsatisfying weapon, causing minimal damage (again, for an explosive) against shielded humans, taking down on average a third or so of an X-com soldier's shield, and maybe half of an alien soldier's shield. It does not cause too particularly much damage unless used a lot, so it is a safe explosive to use in buildings with whom your relations with the owners are sensitive
If push comes to shove, or you just cannot be bothered with the boomeroid's quirky gimmick, you can bypass the boomeroid's main feature and simply set the mine to blast on impact and use it as a glorified grenade.