Triscene

General Information

Triscene

This bipedal reptile is a throwback to the age of the Dinosaurs. It seems to be a Cretaceous creature in every sense save its ability to survive in water and on land. These creatures are slung with weapons pods and have a jaw lined with metallic teeth. Often these monsters have been at the core of the alien attack forces as the Aliens launch assaults upon the land. A heavyweight and potent weapon, the Lobster men commanders deploy them with lethal efficiency.

Source: Terror From The Deep Ufopaedia

Triscene Autopsy

Once subjected to the scientist's knife the Triscene reveals that it is an ancient creature, supplemented with cybernetic implants and weapons systems. Its tiny brain is supplemented by a small computer module mounted in the control harness all the creatures wear. A tough natural skin, a predatory instinct enhanced by additional weapons makes this a lethal opponent in all environments.

Source: Terror From The Deep Ufopaedia

Triscene
Time Units		72 - 107
Health		158
Energy		90 - 133
Reactions		69 - 93
Strength		120 - 148
Bravery		90
Firing Accuracy		32 - 129
Throwing Accuracy		80
MC Skill		0
MC Strength		100 - 124
Front Armour		48 - 144
Left Armour		44 - 132
Right Armour		44 - 132
Back Armour		44 - 132
Under Armour		3 - 10
Hidden Attributes
Melee Accuracy		80 - 118
Energy Recharge		40
Victory Points		25
Standing Height		?
Kneeling Height		?
Intelligence		3
Aggression		2
Other information
Armour category		Triscene
Possible Ranks		Terrorist
Unique Attributes		Melee Attack

These brutes are rare, but extremely powerful terror units. They are similar to the Sectopod of the First Alien War, but with even higher stats, and mount powerful twin Sonic weapons. They are found on land, exclusively on Mixed Crew missions.

Unlike the Sectopod, they aren't particularly vulnerable to any type of weapon. However, they do have a glaring weakness: almost non-existent Under Armor. While most explosive weapons don't work on land, grenades do. A single, well-thrown Sonic Pulser will usually suffice to kill even an uninjured Triscene.

Innate weapon

The Triscene and Bio-Drone use the very same type of turret that is mounted on the Displacer /Sonic. The Displacer/Sonic's turret specifications are duplicated here:

Sonic Turret Specifications
Ammunition
Type	Sonic
Damage	110 Sonic
Rounds	100
Manufacture Price	$n/a
Sale Price	$n/a
Firing Modes	Accuracy	Cost
Aimed	100%(-%)	60%(-)
Snap	85%(-%)	30%(-)
Numbers in parenthesis are the actual values after modified by the chassis' abilities. Actual costs are in fixed Time Units

Note: Actual TU costs have been omitted as these will vary due to difficulty level adjustments.

Tactics

The Triscene possesses a deadly combo of extremely powerful Sonic weaponry, high Health and thick armour. On Veteran difficulty and above their almost ridiculously high armour requires special tactics as it can easily shrug off anything weaker than sonic weaponry - indeed, Gauss or AP weapons are nearly useless against it.

• The Triscene has very weak under armour, and being a large alien, is particularly vulnerable to area effect weapons.
• The Gas Cannon with HE shells and especially the Thermal Shok Launcher are effective ranged weapons for fighting Triscenes. Either used alone or in tandem, they can quickly take down Triscenes.
• All types of grenades are good at quickly dispatching Triscenes when fighting in open areas. Even Magna-Blast Grenades can do a respectable amount of damage.
• The Particle Disturbance Grenade can be useful because it can be deployed without exposing oneself to the Triscene's deadly weapons. Of course, getting the big dino to trigger the grenade can be hard if it has decided to hole up in some tiny nook or wander away from the trap.
• Because Triscenes only appear above water, the Disruptor Pulse Launcher, Torpedo Launcher and Hydro-Jet Cannon can not be reliably used against them. At least, normally.
• Sonic weapons are effective and will defeat Triscenes with some persistence, but only on Beginner or Experienced difficulty levels. Their effectiveness drops sharply on Veteran difficulty and above. Superhuman-level Triscenes are almost completely immune even to Sonic Cannons.
• Strong melee weapons can be used in a pinch to take one down. On high difficulties, Vibro Blades are too weak - this is a job for the Heavy Thermic Lance. The main problem is getting close enough without drawing reaction fire or running out of Time Units and getting mauled by the Triscene's melee attack on the next turn. If in doubt, use the M.C. Reader to gauge the Triscene's ability to react before attempting to engage it up close.
• You can sometimes use the Triscene's size to your advantage as they cannot walk through single tile doors. You can use this to either escape from it or wait for it to get into melee range. Be careful as they can still shoot through the door.

Notes

The following are some miscellaneous notes on the Triscene:

• The Triscene takes 0.8x damage from Gauss weapons, 1.1x damage from melee attacks and 0.9x damage from all other sources.
• It is found exclusively on land, in the company of Tasoths or Mixed crews.
• Takes up 4 squares on the battlescape.
• Despite the (in-game) UFOpedia mentioning "the Lobster Men Commanders", the Triscene is only found on Mixed Crew missions, which do not include Lobster Men.
• They're so rare that it's quite possible to play through the entire game without ever facing a single Triscene.

See Also

• Alien Life Forms
• Overviews of Aliens
• Terror Units
• Bio-Drone
• Tasoth
• Sectopod