Psionics (Apocalypse)

X-Com agents use their latent psionic powers to attack an enemy with their mind.

In General

• A naturally gifted unit can use a Mind Bender to telepathically manipulate any unit on the battlescape. The victim cannot be injured or killed outright but can be anally probed, stunned, demoralised, or mind-controlled.
• An agent who has been trained in a Psi-Gym will become adept in the use of psionic projections.

Psi Attributes

An agent has three psionic traits that govern their ability to either project or to resist 'mind games'.

Psi Energy

Agent's psionic energy available to project onto a victim. Slowly recharges.

Psi Skill

Agent's aptitude of performing the particular choice of psionic projection.

Psi Defence

The agent's ability to resist psionic manipulation.

Agents For Hire

Humans: Humans have very low psionic attributes and need maximum training to perform even the easiest of psionic combat choice (Probe Unit).
Hybrids: Sectoid-Human hybrids are best suited for training due to their high base-level psionic attributes. To have the best Psi-Troops, hybrids available for hire should be chosen on their natural psionic ability levels, since training will triple the base values.
Androids: Androids cannot use psionics which also makes them immune to any projections.

Training

An agent's ability to perform psionic projections is very weak even for gifted Hybrids. Abilities will become much more powerful and with a greater chance of success when a suitable agent is trained to completion.

• Psionics ability is trained inside the base facility: Psi-Gym.
  
• The training of attributes will cease when the original psionic skill set values have tripled.

Psionic Targets

• Any unit to be manipulated must be directly visible to the agent which will be performing the projection.
• The percentage chance to succeed is best when above 75% otherwise energy levels may be needlessly depleted until slowly recharged for another try.
• Projections will not work on entites that are immune, or those which have naturally strong psionic resistance. The easiest function of a mind bender projection: Probe Unit, may have little chance to succeed on resistant entities. Other projection choices available on the mind bender will mostly fail when attempted. (mind-control at 13% has been successful ...only once)
• Projections can be used with a good chance of success on any unit that can carry a weapon: humans, anthropods and skeletoids since their resistance is low.

Broken Projection

To avoid X-Com agents being the subject of mind games, any unit must quickly break visual contact with the hostile which has succeeded in performing a projection of "Stun Unit" or "Panic Unit" since these are timed based dependant on the hostiles Psi Energy. A "Control Unit" (mind control) projection performed by a hostile either works or doesn't, thus, is unavoidable.
If Psi Energy is depleted, any active projections will immediately fail. A psi projection cease to be if target goes outside of the user's line of sight ...according to the game manual, but this is wrong.

Psionics Against Neutrals

Building security are commonly the target of mind manipulation when performing a raid.
Any mind-controlled entity is classed as an X-Com unit. If you place that entity into a very dangerous situation then cease the mind-control, it is of no concern to X-Com why that unit decided to detonate a grenade at their feet or jump off from a very high roof.
If any unit is injured while under mind control, this is viewed as an X-Com agent being hurt, however, if the mind-controlled unit is killed, it is classed as friendly fire and not direct enemy action. If the majority are killed off, others on the map may start to panic.

Tips

• Hire some hybrids from the very start and have them studying in the Psi Gym right from the word go. Either keep them out of direct combat, or make sure they take it easy during the battle. They may not seem like much now, but they will improve.
• If you hire lots of hybrids, consider placing half of them in combat training and the other half in the psi gym. Swap them over from time to time.
• Psionics are a good option for dealing with shielded enemies. Get them to throw their shields to you.
• Multiple psi users should be employed to combat the low amount of psi energy a single agent will have. Let one attack while the other rests.
• Don't over-use your psi in a single burst. On the other hand, try not to let your psi-energy go to waste by having an energy bar at 100% at all times.
• Mind Control and Probe in Real Time should be used while the game is paused. With Mind Control, do as much as you can in the enemy's inventory such as set off explosives (remember to activate them by moving them after setting the timer) and then breaking the mind control.
• Consider assigning the hybrids to your Capture Teams, especially if they are highly psi-skilled, as they can use the long line-of-sight range on the Mind Bender to attempt to Stun/Panic/Control enemies. This allows other soldiers (namely those armed with the Megapol Stun Grapple) to move in closer and secure the target.
  

=WIP= this HOW TO really should be only in mind bender page

Psi Attack Requirements/Limitations

In order to perform a psionic attack, the user must:

1. Have a Mind Bender
2. Be able to see the target
3. Have enough energy to perform the attack.
4. Be able to maintain the attack (RT Combat only)

Obviously, to perform a successful attack, the psi users must have a strong enough skill level to combat the target's psi defence.

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See Also

• Training
• Mind Bender
• Psy-Gym