Sectoid (EU2012)

The Sectoids are a small, grey alien race. Every Sectoid is a perfect genetic copy but some are chosen to command the pack with deadly psionic abilities. They are augmented with cybernetic implants to support their frail physiques in combat situations. They are usually the first alien species encountered in combat by XCOM's ground forces. Within the alien army the Sectoids fill the role of scientists and abductors. You will usually find them experimenting on humans during abduction missions.

Sectoids are physically feeble. They cannot move very far and their lack of accuracy hints to their inability to handle recoil effectively. However, these little grey aliens are proficient in the use of deadly psionic powers. They use these psionic abilities to make their kinsmen more deadly in combat or even to turn your soldiers into slaves to their will. This race prefers the use of wrist mounted plasma pistols.

Tactical Advice

Sectoid Soldiers are basic alien peons. They use Mind Merge to try and make up for their shortcomings. However, their reliance on the mind merge ability makes them potentially vulnerable because killing the Sectoid performing the merge will also kill the one receiving it, giving an opportunity for a double kill. Sectoid Commanders have much higher health than regular Sectoids and massive accuracy, but their pistol is the least of your worries. Sectoid Commanders will usually begin by using Mind Control.

The Sectoid and their Commanders are the only source of the useful Plasma Pistol (once captured, you can then research and manufacture them yourself), and if you wish for a full armament, recovery is required before either Sectoid breed is phased out of front-line combat. You can either capture a Sectoid early on, or; after assaulting the Alien Base, capturing a Commander, or researching Psionics, building a Psi trooper to have Mind Control, and MCing and preparing a Commander to be killed by his fellow aliens (must be done before the Overseer UFO is assaulted, due to Commanders being completley replaced with Ethereals). A capture is reccomended for both, as interrogating a Sectoid will be of greater ease at the low level you will be at the start of the war (and will thusly reduce research time for Beam weapons, which will make fighting (and capturing) all other species much easier), and interrogating a Commander reduces reasearch time for all Psionics-related projects.

As cannon fodder for all but in the beggining of Impossible difficulty, Sectoids begin to be phased out a few months into the campaign. Once the Alien Base is conquered, they may still appear on larger UFOs as compliment to Sectoid Commanders. Once the Hyperwave uplink is installed, you have about 1-2 weeks before the Overseer UFO begins to appear (it can be let go, but your monthy Council Reports will suffer), so it may be worthwhile to hold off on it's construction in your base, and 'farm' Commanders for Plasma Pistols and for experience dealing with Psionic attacks before having to deal with Etherials (for example: a trooper who is MCing an alien CANNOT even be selected for Mind Control themselves: If all a Commander/Ethereal can see is Controlling soldiers, they will not attempt Mind Control... and will use Mind Fray or Psi Lance). After the Overseer UFO is captured, Sectoid Commanders will never reappear except aboard the Temple Ship, and Sectoids almost entirely dissapear, useless for capture/reasearch purposes. Capturing the Base's Commander is recommended, as it is the only guaranteed time that only one Commander will appear (though you may want to hold off if the battles along the way have been particularly hard). Sectoids very rarely appear late-game: in large UFOs and the last guaranteed appearance before the Temple Ship is the Council Mission at the truck stop (the Spokesman will mention "a truck carrying unusual cargo"), though this mission may appear at any time.

Sectoid Soldier

1st Appearance	{{{appears}}}
HP	3/3/3/4
Aim	65
Defense	0
Will	10
Movement	12
Easy/Normal/Classic/Impossible

A common foe, these standard foot soldiers are often seen early on in the game during abduction missions and also staffing small UFOs. They have low health and accuracy but can psionically merge minds with their brethren to improve their health, accuracy and critical chance. You may want to keep a stock of their corpses on hand, as they are used for the useful one-use-each Targeting Boost module for your Interceptors.

Sectoid Soldier Armaments

Weapon	Damage	Critical Chance	Class	Terrain Damage	Range	Reaction Angle	Reaction Range	Size	Abilities
Sectoid Plasma Pistol	3	0	Sectoid	125	27	200	NA	Small	Unlimited ammo Suppression 20%

Abilities:

• Mind Merge: the merged ally receives +1 hit points, increased accuracy and increased critical hit chance. Mind Merge also functions as a Sectoid Medikit since any injured Sectoids receiving Mind Merge will heal +1 HP on the next turn.

Sectoid Commander

1st Appearance	{{{appears}}}
HP	10/10/14/14
Aim	85
Defense	20
Will	90
Movement	12
Easy/Normal/Classic/Impossible

These elite leaders of the Sectoid race command some of the most powerful psionics seen in the game. They have far higher health than regular Sectoid infantry and their firing accuracy is also among the best you will see in the game, though this is not what makes them dangerous. They possess the frightening ability to take control of one of your soldiers for about three turns.

You can either run from the controlled soldier until he or she is released back into your control, kill the Sectoid commander to break the psionic link, have a Sniper hit the soldier with Disabling Shot or, if in dire circumstances kill the captured soldier to ensure he is no longer a threat to your squad. They also use a more advanced version of the mind merge ability, providing the same bonuses but to multiple Sectoids at the same time.

Researching the creature's corpse allows access to the Psi Labs, through it you gain the ability to test your soldiers in Psionic aptitude.

The first Sectoid Commander you ever encounter will be in the Alien Base. After that, they will be at the helm of UFOs right up until you assault the Overseer UFO, at which point they are permanently replaced by Ethereals.

Sectoid Commander Armaments

Weapon	Damage	Critical Chance	Class	Terrain Damage	Range	Reaction Angle	Reaction Range	Size	Abilities
Sectoid Plasma Pistol	3	0	Sectoid	125	27	200	NA	Small	Unlimited ammo Suppression 20%
Alien Grenade	5	0	Any	250	17	240	Small

Abilities:

• Mind Fray: Causes the target to lose grip on reality, inflicting penalties to Aim, Will, and mobility and doing 5 base damage. Lasts 2 turns, 1 turn cooldown.
• Mind Control: Very difficult psi technique that, if successful, grants control of the target for 3 turns.
• Greater Mind Merge: Merge Minds with all lesser allies of the same species nearby, granting them +25% critical chance and +1 health.

Notes

• When completing the Laser Rifle reasearch, a cutscene is shown with a test of the rifle on a large printout of the 1994 UFOpaedia Sectoid graphic.
• In the Game Over cutscene, the Spokesman (Mind Controlled by a Sectoid Commander) announces the shutdown of XCOM while a Thin Man grasps his shoulder. This may be a refrence to earlier games, where it is implied that withdrawn countries are thusly easily infliltrated, then Mind Control techniques are used on their leaders and populace. This may also imply that the Council may work on a 50% majority vote system.