Navigator (Alien Rank)
A Navigator is one of the lower Alien Ranks, and is one of the more commonly encountered types in most mission profiles. Their role on board is presumed to be to guide the UFO from the source of the alien attacks to Earth, and then to the particular mission target, freeing up the rest of the crew to other tasks. Navigators are commonly found near the bridge and UFO Navigation, but often move away if they have reason to.
In combat a Navigator is the equal of the soldier but no better, except for a slightly increased intelligence. The only exception to this is Muton Navigators who wear slightly better armour than their lower ranked colleagues.
Deployment
| UFO Type | Beg./Exp. | Vet./Gen. | Super. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Scout | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medium Scout | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| Large Scout | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Abductor | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Harvester | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Supply Ship | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Terror Ship | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Battleship | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Alien Base | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Interrogating a captured navigator will allow research of the Hyper-wave Decoder as well as providing details of one of the 8 Alien Missions.
Terror From the Deep
Navigators in TFTD hold a higher position in the Alien hierarchy than their EU counterparts, being closer to UFO's Leaders in terms of rank. They also have significantly better stats than ordinary Soldiers, and Aquatoid Navigators are capable of M.C. attacks.
Only Lobster Men and Aquatoids use Navigators; Gill Men will use Technicians and Tasoths will use Squad Leaders in their place. Researching a Lobster Man Navigator is crucial in the unpatched version of the game, since it will allow you to research Magnetic Navigation. In the patched version of the game, researching one will unlock The Ultimate Threat instead. Aquatoid Navigators are worthless to X-Com's research efforts.
An unarmed Lobster Man Navigator or two can always be found in the Synomium Device chamber of an Alien Colony.
TFTD Deployment
| Alien Sub Type | Beg./Exp. | Vet./Gen. | Super. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey Ship | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Escort | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cruiser | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hunter | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Cruiser | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Fleet Supply Cruiser | 0-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Battleship | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dreadnought | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Alien Colony part 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alien Colony part 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Artefact Site (per part) | 0 | 0 | 0 |