Brainsucker (Apocalypse)

The life span of a Brainsucker is very short, eight hours at most. It has no reproduction or feeding system. Instead it attacks human victims by grasping the head with its claws and inserting its proboscis into the victims throat. The Brainsucker dies immediately after a successful attack, but our tests reveal that the victim is subsequently transformed into an Alien controlled entity. We will not understand the mechanism which causes this until we have completed studies on the full Alien life cycle.  From: Apocalypse Ufopaedia

Brainsucker

Grown-In Weapon = special Health = 20 Speed / Time Units = 90 Accuracy = 100 Reactions = 5 Stamina = 70 Strength = 10 Bravery = 10 Armour¹: 5/5/5/5/5/5 Psi Energy = 0 Psi Attack = 0 Psi Defense = 100 Size = small Inventory = no Movement = ground Infiltration Influence = weak Score = 4

¹ armour values : Head/Body/Left Arm/Right Arm/Legs/Under (approximately)
Image, top to bottom: Alive, Unconscious, Dead.

This life form appears to have a simple structure with no distinguishable organs apart from an efficient heart and cardiovascular system. There appears to be no means of ingesting food or separate brain structure rendering it immune from Psionic influence. It seems that this creature has little purpose in life except that it is known to attack humans and seems to be designed to do only that. Its complex organic structure may be useful for developing toxins to counter any threat to our race.  From: Apocalypse Ufopaedia

A quick, small orange ball with protruding legs and a thick, short proboscis.

A Brainsucker appears when it hatches from a Brainsucker Pod.

UFOs & Chambers
Brainsuckers are onboard these UFOs, and in quantity, when ready to be dropped into a home-cell for infestation or base attack:
Probe x1
Scout x2
Transporter x3
Destroyer x4
Assault Ship x5
Brainsuckers are found aboard these UFOs, and in quantity, when a UFO has crashed:
Fast Attack Ship x2
Brainsuckers are not present in any alien chamber within the Alien Dimension.

Infiltration
An alien infestation spreading across the city from the initially infested building will have loose brainsuckers only early on, since their lifespan is very short. Brainsucker Pods will provide more brainsuckers when needed when fired from a Brainsucker Launcher during a battlescape mission. A launcher will be always be used in every encounter with aliens when fighting Anthropods or Skeletoids.

Combat

Unit

A Brainsucker is immune to psionics.

Brainsuck
Action

A Brainsucker is an extreme threat since it relies on surprise and can jump upwards to four levels high when trying to grab the head of a victim to attempt a brainsuck. Brainsucker Pods on the battlescape may break open (hatch) when detecting a suitable victim nearby. Many hatching at once can overwhelm a small X-Com squad.
Brainsuckers do not have any grown-in offensive weaponry of any kind but have a special ability of being able to permanently make human or hybrid X-Com agents 'change sides' and fight for the aliens against X-Com. A successful conversion is not always the outcome. A brainsuck action may fail randomly, irrelevant of headwear worn by the victim. If a brainsuck attempt succeeds or ends in failure, it is always fatal to the brainsucker.
A brainsucker cannot attach to a victim's head if there is not enough room to do so. If an attempt is made. nut fails, the brainsucker may briefly fall unconscious.
Android agents are not targeted by brainsuckers or detected by pods whereas civilians, defence forces and mind controlled aliens may be detected however, they will not be targeted for a brainsuck.

Resistance
Brainsuckers are mildly resistant to stun gas and stun grapples.

Brainsucker research is a critical step for understanding alien infiltration.

Next: Multiworm Egg
Return To Start

See Also

• Anti-Alien Combat Tactics
• Unit Attributes
• Research
• Grown-In Weapons