Lobster Man

General Information

Lobsterman

This is a staggering creature, taller than a man and boasting six limbs, it resembles nothing more than an aquatic Demon. The similarities between this creature and the Earth lobster have earned it the nickname of Lobsterman with the X-Com troops. This is a behemoth of the deep. A carefully designed fighting creature of incredible strength and practically invulnerable to missile fire. Its pincers alone can crush steel.

Source: Terror From The Deep Ufopaedia

Lobsterman Autopsy

Once past its virtually indestructible shell the creature is an amazing construction. Powerful muscles ripple around a titanium skeleton, a sophisticated targeting system with multi-band scanning ability is hooked directly into the creature's brain. Its multiple eyes are protected by harder than steel plastics and it is clear that when well deployed by their masters these creatures are all but unstoppable. Buried deep in its body are devices of unknown construction and function.

Source: Terror From The Deep Ufopaedia

Lobsterman
Time Units		56 - 112
Health		90 - 125
Energy		90 - 148
Reactions		60 - 108
Strength		70 - 86
Bravery		80 - 90
Firing Accuracy		21-87
Throwing Accuracy		62
MC Skill		0
MC Strength		35 - 62
Front Armour		8 - 26
Left Armour		8 - 26
Right Armour		8 - 26
Back Armour		6 - 24
Under Armour		4 - 14
Hidden Attributes
Melee Accuracy		78 - 115
Energy Recharge		35 - 40
Victory Points		20 - 40
Standing Height		?
Kneeling Height		?
Intelligence		2 - 8
Aggression		1 & 2
Other information
Armour category		Lobsterman
Possible Ranks		Soldier, Squad Leader, Technician, Navigator, Commander
Unique Attributes		Has melee attack

The Lobsterman, as per its namesake, is an alien humanoid that looks like a lobster. It is a formidable and violent opponent. With the exception of the Medic rank, Lobstermen hold a very broad range of roles from being the main shock troopers of the alien forces to holding high level command positions. Their Commanders in particular are privy to sensitive information that is of very high value to X-Com.

In addition to using normal weapons, the Lobsterman has big meaty claws that allow it to viciously attack aquanauts in close quarters. This means that whether or not it is carrying firearms, a Lobsterman is a constant threat until it is killed or incapacitated.

The Lobsterman's other - and perhaps most - distinguishing feature is its thick carapace that makes it nearly invulnerable. The actual protective plating is very light, but the Lobsterman's extreme damage resistance greatly reduces the effectiveness of many weapons. Lobstermen can easily withstand a full hit from even the most powerful of alien weaponry and still remain standing once the dust has cleared.

While seemingly unstoppable, they are not without weakness. They have a high vulnerability to freezing weapons and drills. They are also weak against Molecular Control, and have no MC abilities of their own. While not a weakness per-se, they do sustain more damage from their own Sonic weapons than any other non-area-effect ranged weapons.

The Lobsterman also has a bad habit of using more energy than it can recover. Over time, a Lobsterman can often be forced into a situation where it can only move a few paces each turn. This happens because all Lobstermen have to spend energy just to turn. This is in addition to all the usual actions that require energy.

Lobsterman ships may have sightings as early as February through March though they will appear with more regularity from April onwards. Contrary to an old myth, their appearance is not tied to your research on Sonic weapons.

Lobsterman crews are often accompanied by the dreadful Bio-Drone on land excursions and will form the core of the second variant of a Mixed Crew.

A Lobsterman Commander is required in order to complete the game by unlocking the Leviathan and for revealing the location of T'leth. The original unpatched Dos version of the game also required a Lobsterman Navigator to unlock Magnetic Navigation, though this requirement was removed in later updates.

In Enemy Unknown, the Lobsterman is comparable to the Muton in function. Their resilience is best associated with the Sectopod, though from a damage resistance angle rather than from pure defensive values.

Tactics

When first facing Lobstermen, it may seem that no weapon in the X-Com arsenal can deal with them. The Lobsterman threat was finally countered by a desperate but highly effective strategy: melee combat with alien power tools.

• Melee with Thermal Tazer. Prior to acquiring alien drill technology, the humble Thermal Tazer, since it is a freezing (stun) weapon, is quite effective against Lobstermen. It's a useful stop-gap, since it can take some time before it's possible to research alien drills.
• Sonic Pulsers offer an early opportunity to attack Lobstermen more effectively. Count on three or more direct hits for a good chance of a kill. Be prepared to follow up with all available direct fire weapons if the Lobsterman does not go down - his high armour levels will be reduced by the Sonic Pulser damage, making it possible to finish him off with normally ineffective weapons such as Gas Cannon - HE.
• Disruptor Pulse Launchers do not kill them outright. Lobstermen will survive a direct DPL hit. It takes two hits, or one DPL followed by a second hit with something else, such as a Sonic weapon.
• The best ranged weapon against Lobstermen (considerably more effective than 'nuking' them with a Disruptor Pulse Launcher) is the Thermal Shok Launcher, due to their vulnerability to stun damage. Don't forget to drop some kind of grenade on the sleeping seafood if you don't want them meleeing you to death when they wake up.
• Other ranged weapons are very ineffective against Lobstermen. Even the mighty Sonic Cannon, by far the most effective direct fire weapon against Lobstermen, will require at least two hits.
• MC: Lobstermen are not capable of Molecular Control and only have average MC resistance. Once effective Molecular Control is available, it is probably the 'ultimate' tactic against them.
• If coming up against an unexpected Lobsterman (as in, a random Small spacecraft with a few Lobstermen in it, earlier in the game than expected) and you are not prepared, it is advisable to abort the mission. If you HAVE to kill it, remember to bring thermal tazers.

Notes

The following are some miscellaneous notes on the Lobster Man:

• Contrary to an old rumour/myth, researching Sonic technology early does not unlock Lobsterman ships early.
• There are no Lobsterman Medics. Technicians will be used in their place.
• They have a marked tendency to fall unconscious instead of dying, except when killed by strong melee weapons.
• A Lobster Man Commander is a key alien, and researching one will unlock T'leth, the Aliens' City, provided you have already reaserched The Ultimate Threat (if not you'll get that instead). Since there are usually two Commanders in the control room of an Alien Colony, capturing them both will allow you to research both crucial topics.
• A Lobster Man Navigator is a key alien, but only in unpatched versions of the game, where researching one unlocks the Magnetic Navigation. In the patched version, researching one will unlock The Ultimate Threat.

See Also

• Alien Life Forms
• Overviews of Aliens
• Bio-Drone
• Tentaculat
• Alien Stats (TFTD)