Commander (Alien Rank)
Commanders hold the loftiest rank in the alien hierarchy. They can only be found in Alien Bases (Alien Colonies for TFTD), on Battleships (Dreadnoughts for TFTD) on an Alien Base mission, or on the alien's home planet of Mars (T'leth for TFTD). Capturing a commander is crucial in order to complete the game. Only commanders are privy to the location of the Brain's stronghold on Cydonia.
In combat a Leader is the strongest enemy you will face in combat, with high intelligence, generally improved statistics (somewhat race dependant), the best armour, but usually lowered aggression. In terms of equipment they may well be using powerful weapons including the Blaster Launcher, but not always. They are probably the toughest opponents you will run into on any given mission, especially Sectoids who have can use Psionics to attack your mean from their hiding place on the bridge.
Deployment
| UFO Type | Beg./Exp. | Vet./Gen. | Super. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Scout | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medium Scout | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Large Scout | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abductor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harvester | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Supply Ship | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terror Ship | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Battleship | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Alien Base | 1 | 1 | 1 |