UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

Talk:Soldiers

2015-10-01T04:55:20Z

Zac x Me: MIA Soldiers

TODO: Insert links for other attributes and conditions used only in combat, such as "current reaction level", amongst other things that a player will want to know.

==Intro==
Ideas for opening blurb:

Welcome to the XCOM Personell Department. Here we maintain the records of extensive aptitude testing and training regimes.

From the sharpshooter with their rifle to the weakling with their smoke grenade, everyone on the assault team has a part to play.

XCOM is an Equal Opportunities Exploiter. Both men and women from any XCOM-funding country are welcome to apply.

-[[User:JellyfishGreen|JellyfishGreen]]

----

We make no distinctions regarding gender or ethnicity (neither do plasma beams). Regardless of how you look you will be turned into blondes the moment the transport lands? -[[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 06:12, 17 February 2006 (PST)

----

If your last name sounds English, French, German, Russian, or Japanese, please apply. If not, get lost. -[[User:MikeTheRed|MikeTheRed]]

== Managing squads ==

I'd suggest that all useful soldiers are renamed so you can identify them easily. It can even add a bit of fun. I also add a rating for their key stats by appending letters at the end, an R for 50 reactions or S for 35 strength, say. This lets me arm and move soldiers appropriately without knowing everything about them.

When picking a squad for a mission you probably need some expandable scouts, a leader, and some people to carry heavy weapons. It's useful if the front people in the skyranger are expendable as any accidents tend to happen to them. Once you've picked your scouts, hopefully before you've even set off, you should make sure that none of the other soldiers get shot during the mission. I would use low bravery soldiers as expendable scouts. You won't miss people who can go beserk at the first sign of trouble and intentional bravery training is typically an exploit. Soldiers can generally perform all roles except Psi offense, even if some are better skilled than others. - [[User:Egor|Egor]]

== Stats vs Attributes ==
I would call them stats, but a consensus would be nice. I'm pretty sure they mean the same thing. When it is decided, note it on the main talk page.

: I'd go with stats too, but there's no point splitting hairs. In the context they are used, they are interchangeable. - [[User:NKF|NKF]]

== Missing in Action ==

Soldiers that go MIA sometimes re-appear on alien UFO's or even alien bases. It's also mentioned in the briefing for UFO crash/landing sites. I haven't seen it anywhere mentioned on UFOPaedia yet though. Also mind crontrol seems to be a bit different then, as for the first few turns the soldier will automatically be on the aliens side and THEN start to regain control over their body. Does anyone know though if the same applies to TFTD? [[User:Zac x Me|Zac x Me]] ([[User talk:Zac x Me|talk]]) 00:55, 1 October 2015 (EDT)

Making the Game Harder/Scenarios

2015-09-26T21:32:41Z

Zac x Me: /* Pistol only run */

====Funding Council Counterintelligence====

Expanding the Funding Council Income Only scenario, don't let even a single Infiltration mission succeed! If one country defects, it will start a series of events that result in X-COM being disbanded (ie. you have to start over the game). Confirmed (?) to be actually ''impossible'' on Superhuman.

===Rank-based equipment===

Only give the best stuff to officers. For example Squaddies have to use personal armors and laser rifles; rookies don't get armor at all. Advancing in ranks earns the privilege to use newest equipment. So Sergeants can use Power Suit, but not Flying Suit. Even better, only give Flying suit to your Commander. Of course, you never want to commit your most experienced troops to hazardous front line duties, so this creates extra challenge.

====Fire-mode restrictions====

'Cautious'-mode only available with long range ship weapons ([[Avalanche|Avalanche Missiles]] and the [[Fusion Ball Launcher]]). 'Aggressive'-mode with everything else, never 'standard'-mode.

Otherwise plasma beam is too powerful. Most alien ships have low range and are very fast. That they never return fire does not make any sense.

====Single Plasma beam on interceptors====

If a [[Plasma Beam]] is mounted on an [[Interceptor]] the other weapon slot must carry a less powerful canon ([[Cannon]] & [[Laser Cannon]]) or remain empty.

This creates a large niche for the [[Firestorm]] and the [[Lightning]].

===Solo Missions===
; Iron Man
If you are confident in yourself, use only one soldier. Knowing when to retreat and switch weapons at the dropship is essential, but try not to get wounded. Without friends with medkits around, fatal wounds are truly fatal. Get your popcorn out people and enjoy the show!

;Chuck Norris
Your best man, a rocket launcher, grenades, and an automatic rifle. Nothing invented before about 1970. A stun rod to simulate the devastating karate attack - watch out Aliens!

;Bruce Lee
One man, one stun rod. (You might want to cheat and max out your stats first.) They won't stand a chance!

;Bozo the Clown
One man, no weapons. And pray that either some aliens died during the crash or that they are stupid enough to hit one another with their weapons.

==Limited Military==

Limit X-COM to a set number of soldiers per game. Not at one time, per game. So every soldier killed or sacked is an irreplaceable resource. The easiest version of this could be 250 soldiers, maybe rolling down to as few as fifty, depends on the masochism of the player. Optionally, to help a bit, start with maximum hires by editing the starting base, or allow those who want to can increase the physical stats of soldiers up to their caps in SOLDIER.DAT if wanted and can start with maximum hires. (Leave Psi alone!) This game is winnable, but increasingly hard as you decrease troops as every man lost is a critical resource you never get back.

The very hard version of this is to try and complete the game with just the 8 soldiers you start with. It is
possible to complete the game with just one soldier if you really want to make the game harder. You better hope that he has good Psi skills as you will not find out for a few months. At least you'll have room for a 3 tanks on your Skyranger.

==Tour of Duty==

All soldiers sign up for only 15 missions in the beginning. After the soldier goes through 15 missions, they end their tour and quit X-COM for
good (are sacked) unless they have a solid ranking (sargeant or higher) . This forces purchase of new troops.
A useful challenge for savescummers to take away the edge of troops with good stats. For added difficulty try reducing the mission count or having all units be sacked after 15 missions.

==Battlescape Time Limits==

If you are used to playing the 'waiting game', pick up the pace. The Aliens aren't stupid. After 20 Turns in a UFO Ground Assault, they will take off again, leaving you empty handed (simulate this with a march back to the Transport, and Abort). After 20 Turns in a UFO Crash Recovery, the Engineers blow the reactor and destroy everything. Simulate this with a forced Abort on Turn 20, regardless of where everyone is at the time. Those who don't get airborne in the Transport are all missing or dead. Anything not hauled back to the Transport is lost.

===Limited Elerium===

Elerium is incredibly valuable, probably the most important strategic material ever encountered by mankind. Much too valuable for the CFN to leave it in the hands of those crazy commandos who run X-Com! The CFN governments insist on keeping most or all of the Elerium for their own use. You goet to see what it's like defending civilisation without it.

''50 Elerium Limit''

You are limited to only 50 units of Elerium for the whole game. Any surplus must be "sold" - i.e. returned to the CFN for a fraction of its real value. Keep in mind you need at least 12 units to build your Avenger, otherwise you can't win the game.

''Avenger Elerium Only''

You are only allowed to keep enough Elerium to fuel one mission of your Avenger (12 units). Everything else must be handed back to the CFN. This means you can't build anything that requires Elerium. It also means you must scavenge all the parts for your Avenger from UFOs.

''Mandatory Recycling''

As above, plus you are required to immediately hand over to the CFN ("sell") any captured items containing Elerium (except for the specific parts you need to build your ''one'' Avenger). This is so the CFN can send them to a top-secret Elerium Reprocessing plant for extraction of the precious Elerium. You are allowed to start Research projects on them when you first return them to Base, but then you must immediately hand them over to the CFN. You are not allowed to use these items (except during the actual Battlescape mission when you capture them - and even then your troops have to lie about the ammo counts and pretend the aliens fired them).

This means you can never hold any Plasma or Fusion/Blaster weapons or tanks, no Psi Amps or Mind Probes, no Stun bombs, alien grenades, Power/Flying suits. You can build a Firestorm or Lightning, but there's no point, since you can't operate it (since that expends Elerium). You can't arm your craft with Plasma Beams or Fusion Balls. Lasers are your best weapons: in the air, on your tanks, and in the hands of your troops.

As a quirk, you can still build Plasma or Fusion defences for your Bases, since those don't appear to require any Elerium. As mentioned elsewhere, perhaps these are powered by a regular power station instead of Elerium.

(If playing TFTD, you are allowed to hold one copy of an item in Stores, if it is needed to be present for a Technology advancement, but then you must sell it as soon as it is no longer needed, and you must never use it in combat.)

==No Detection==

Similar in concept to 1 Mission X-COM. No detection, and therefore no interception, of UFOs. Radar, airborne and hyperwave detection are ruled out. Almost as if the UFOs had some kind of ''stealth'' technology. This means no UFO Assault or UFO Crash Recovery missions. You are restricted to responding to Terror missions, Alien Base Assaults (when Alien Bases are detected by Agents only), and (possibly) Base Defence missions. This is quite hard as you get very little combat experience, artefacts or loot (and therefore very little cash). The Aliens also get a high score so many countries will defect. In fact, you cannot win this game, as there is no way to get UFO Navigations to build the Avenger. (Seb76's loader has 2 patches that do permit you to win: the "Roswell" UFO crashes option and an option where Base Control Tables don't explode.) More information here: [[Talk:UFO_Detection#Playing_With_No_Detection]]

==The Kiryu-Kai Scenario==
This scenario will be based on the Kiryu Kai project which eventually was disbanded due to the failure to stop the invasion and lack of funding in 1998. Although the game starts in 1999 it really doesn't matter. So start the game in Superhuman difficulty and only have one base centred in Japan. Only use the Skyranger and Interceptor, don't use the Lightning, Firestorm or Avenger. Only use Earth Standard weaponry and don't research anything except the medikit, the motion scanner, alien lifeforms, alien origins and the Hyper-Wave Decoder. Sell all alien artefacts and weaponry and strive to play on until the Kiryu Kai (XCOM) is defeated or the Council has cut all funding. The Kiryu Kai Scenario is fun and challenging but remember, you are basically screwed from the beginning so just try to keep the Kiryu Kai existing as long as possible. - [[User:WakkaDakka]] Updated 20th May, 2015

[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

==Pistol only run==

Conditions for a complete Pistol only run:
*Research all available topics ([[Alien Reproduction]] optional)
*Equipment: [[Pistol]], [[Pistol|Pistol Clip]], [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanner]], [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kit]], [[Electro-flare|Electro-flare]], [[Smoke Grenade]], [[Stun Rod]] (limited use), [[Mind Probe]]
**Optional Equipment: [[Personal Armour]], [[Power Suit]], [[Flying Suit]]
**Optional Base Defence: One [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) allowed in your base
*No use of Psionics. [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may be used to decide which soldiers to keep/sack
*Crafts: All crafts and craft weapons may be used
**Optional Crafts: Limit yourself to the [[Skyranger]] and [[Interceptor|Interceptors]] and buyable craft weapons only (including [[Laser Cannon]])

*Optional Starting conditions: Empty base with only an Airlock (placed wherever you like), no staff, no aircrafts, no equipment, anything.

As the title suggests, you will limit yourself to the use of regular [[Pistol|pistols]] only throughout a playthrough of the game, preferably at Superhuman difficulty while also aiming to complete all research topics available (1x [[Alien Reproduction]] may be added to your inventory via an editor after successfully recovering a landed [[Supply Ship]], though Alien Reproduction will be optional and not hinder you to complete this run).

The only other equipment you may use are [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanners]] (always), [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kits]] (always), [[Electro-flare|Electro-flares]] (always), [[Smoke_Grenade|Smoke Grenades]] (always), [[Mind_Probe|Mind Probes]] (always) and [[Stun_Rod|Stun Rods]] (limited), which means the use of [[Psionics]], for you at least, is not allowed.

Stun Rods come with the limitation of only allowing you to capture one type of alien and rank with it, i.e. you may only capture ONE Sectoid Soldier and ONE Floater Soldier, etc., all the others will have to be killed after successfully capturing one of them. Exceptions will be alien [[Medic_(Alien_Rank)|Medics]], [[Navigator_(Alien_Rank)|Navigators]] and [[Engineer_(Alien_Rank)|Engineers]] in order to allow you to acquire otherwise unobtainable research topics (i.e. live Cyberdisc, Alien Missions, Alien UFO's, etc.), as soon as these research topics are completed, these alien ranks may no longer be stunned. Another exception will be [[Cyberdisc|Cyberdiscs]] and [[Sectopod|Sectopods]], as their armour is too high for the pistol to infilct damage on them.

Whether or not you will allow yourself to use any of the new crafts and their weapons as well as upgrading soldier armour is up to you. I personally recommend on your first run though, that you will give every new craft a try as most players usually tend to skip all or some of them until they get to build the [[Avenger]], which is sad and may shorten the total time of a playing session. Make sure to use each craft type at least for 2 months before advancing to a newer one or going for the final mission (unless at that point you already have completed all the possible research topics).

Wearing anything above Personal Armour will ease the challenge a little when your units get mind controlled, as pistol shots won't be able to or hardly harm your own soldiers then, so again you may decide whether or not you will be upgrading to those (certainly an OK for your first run along with the air crafts and weapons).

Additionally, you MAY have one [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) in your base at all times for base defence missions, but never take one with you on your aircraft.

A [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may still be built though, for you to decide which soldiers to ditch and which to keep when it comes to fighting mind control during missions. There are no restrictions on the amount of bases you may build, your base layout or what facilities you may or may not build.

Other rules are:
*No save game abuse: If a soldier dies, a mission is lost, an aircraft is shot down or your base gets destroyed, then that's something you will have to live with.
**Optional: Do not abuse the interception bug that allows you to start every mission during daytime. For a tougher challenge unavoidable night missions add up to the difficulty. (This will also allow you to see the dawn/dusk colour-palette more often, which is really nice to experience in my opinion)

For an even tougher challenge on Superhuman difficulty, you can start a game without the standard base. Right when you begin a new game, sell/sack every Soldier (make sure to unassign them from the Skyranger together with the loaded equipment), Scientist, Engineer as well as the Skyranger and both Interceptors (equip both with Cannons beforehand), then proceed selling every equipment currently in your storage and dismantle all facilities. Then click the "Build new base" button to start the challenge with an empty base.

This will leave you with only your Airlock and around 3 million to start the Pistol only challenge with. Which means that your first month will definitely come with a negative score, as well as you needing to plan what facilities to build first in order to fight the aliens and not get terminated by the council.

On the other hand though, this allows you to go for a defensive base layout right from the beginning such as the [[Base_Layout_Strategy#Time-Efficient_Corridor_Build|Time efficient corridor build]] (if gone for this layout, make sure to rotate it by 90 degrees in order to avoid the [[Known_Bugs#Base_Disjoint_Bug|Base Disjoint]] bug). - [[User:Zac x Me|Zac x Me]] ([[User talk:Zac x Me|talk]]) 03:36, 26 September 2015 (EDT)

Making the Game Harder/Scenarios

2015-09-26T21:21:02Z

Zac x Me: /* Pistol only run */

====Funding Council Counterintelligence====

Expanding the Funding Council Income Only scenario, don't let even a single Infiltration mission succeed! If one country defects, it will start a series of events that result in X-COM being disbanded (ie. you have to start over the game). Confirmed (?) to be actually ''impossible'' on Superhuman.

===Rank-based equipment===

Only give the best stuff to officers. For example Squaddies have to use personal armors and laser rifles; rookies don't get armor at all. Advancing in ranks earns the privilege to use newest equipment. So Sergeants can use Power Suit, but not Flying Suit. Even better, only give Flying suit to your Commander. Of course, you never want to commit your most experienced troops to hazardous front line duties, so this creates extra challenge.

====Fire-mode restrictions====

'Cautious'-mode only available with long range ship weapons ([[Avalanche|Avalanche Missiles]] and the [[Fusion Ball Launcher]]). 'Aggressive'-mode with everything else, never 'standard'-mode.

Otherwise plasma beam is too powerful. Most alien ships have low range and are very fast. That they never return fire does not make any sense.

====Single Plasma beam on interceptors====

If a [[Plasma Beam]] is mounted on an [[Interceptor]] the other weapon slot must carry a less powerful canon ([[Cannon]] & [[Laser Cannon]]) or remain empty.

This creates a large niche for the [[Firestorm]] and the [[Lightning]].

===Solo Missions===
; Iron Man
If you are confident in yourself, use only one soldier. Knowing when to retreat and switch weapons at the dropship is essential, but try not to get wounded. Without friends with medkits around, fatal wounds are truly fatal. Get your popcorn out people and enjoy the show!

;Chuck Norris
Your best man, a rocket launcher, grenades, and an automatic rifle. Nothing invented before about 1970. A stun rod to simulate the devastating karate attack - watch out Aliens!

;Bruce Lee
One man, one stun rod. (You might want to cheat and max out your stats first.) They won't stand a chance!

;Bozo the Clown
One man, no weapons. And pray that either some aliens died during the crash or that they are stupid enough to hit one another with their weapons.

==Limited Military==

Limit X-COM to a set number of soldiers per game. Not at one time, per game. So every soldier killed or sacked is an irreplaceable resource. The easiest version of this could be 250 soldiers, maybe rolling down to as few as fifty, depends on the masochism of the player. Optionally, to help a bit, start with maximum hires by editing the starting base, or allow those who want to can increase the physical stats of soldiers up to their caps in SOLDIER.DAT if wanted and can start with maximum hires. (Leave Psi alone!) This game is winnable, but increasingly hard as you decrease troops as every man lost is a critical resource you never get back.

The very hard version of this is to try and complete the game with just the 8 soldiers you start with. It is
possible to complete the game with just one soldier if you really want to make the game harder. You better hope that he has good Psi skills as you will not find out for a few months. At least you'll have room for a 3 tanks on your Skyranger.

==Tour of Duty==

All soldiers sign up for only 15 missions in the beginning. After the soldier goes through 15 missions, they end their tour and quit X-COM for
good (are sacked) unless they have a solid ranking (sargeant or higher) . This forces purchase of new troops.
A useful challenge for savescummers to take away the edge of troops with good stats. For added difficulty try reducing the mission count or having all units be sacked after 15 missions.

==Battlescape Time Limits==

If you are used to playing the 'waiting game', pick up the pace. The Aliens aren't stupid. After 20 Turns in a UFO Ground Assault, they will take off again, leaving you empty handed (simulate this with a march back to the Transport, and Abort). After 20 Turns in a UFO Crash Recovery, the Engineers blow the reactor and destroy everything. Simulate this with a forced Abort on Turn 20, regardless of where everyone is at the time. Those who don't get airborne in the Transport are all missing or dead. Anything not hauled back to the Transport is lost.

===Limited Elerium===

Elerium is incredibly valuable, probably the most important strategic material ever encountered by mankind. Much too valuable for the CFN to leave it in the hands of those crazy commandos who run X-Com! The CFN governments insist on keeping most or all of the Elerium for their own use. You goet to see what it's like defending civilisation without it.

''50 Elerium Limit''

You are limited to only 50 units of Elerium for the whole game. Any surplus must be "sold" - i.e. returned to the CFN for a fraction of its real value. Keep in mind you need at least 12 units to build your Avenger, otherwise you can't win the game.

''Avenger Elerium Only''

You are only allowed to keep enough Elerium to fuel one mission of your Avenger (12 units). Everything else must be handed back to the CFN. This means you can't build anything that requires Elerium. It also means you must scavenge all the parts for your Avenger from UFOs.

''Mandatory Recycling''

As above, plus you are required to immediately hand over to the CFN ("sell") any captured items containing Elerium (except for the specific parts you need to build your ''one'' Avenger). This is so the CFN can send them to a top-secret Elerium Reprocessing plant for extraction of the precious Elerium. You are allowed to start Research projects on them when you first return them to Base, but then you must immediately hand them over to the CFN. You are not allowed to use these items (except during the actual Battlescape mission when you capture them - and even then your troops have to lie about the ammo counts and pretend the aliens fired them).

This means you can never hold any Plasma or Fusion/Blaster weapons or tanks, no Psi Amps or Mind Probes, no Stun bombs, alien grenades, Power/Flying suits. You can build a Firestorm or Lightning, but there's no point, since you can't operate it (since that expends Elerium). You can't arm your craft with Plasma Beams or Fusion Balls. Lasers are your best weapons: in the air, on your tanks, and in the hands of your troops.

As a quirk, you can still build Plasma or Fusion defences for your Bases, since those don't appear to require any Elerium. As mentioned elsewhere, perhaps these are powered by a regular power station instead of Elerium.

(If playing TFTD, you are allowed to hold one copy of an item in Stores, if it is needed to be present for a Technology advancement, but then you must sell it as soon as it is no longer needed, and you must never use it in combat.)

==No Detection==

Similar in concept to 1 Mission X-COM. No detection, and therefore no interception, of UFOs. Radar, airborne and hyperwave detection are ruled out. Almost as if the UFOs had some kind of ''stealth'' technology. This means no UFO Assault or UFO Crash Recovery missions. You are restricted to responding to Terror missions, Alien Base Assaults (when Alien Bases are detected by Agents only), and (possibly) Base Defence missions. This is quite hard as you get very little combat experience, artefacts or loot (and therefore very little cash). The Aliens also get a high score so many countries will defect. In fact, you cannot win this game, as there is no way to get UFO Navigations to build the Avenger. (Seb76's loader has 2 patches that do permit you to win: the "Roswell" UFO crashes option and an option where Base Control Tables don't explode.) More information here: [[Talk:UFO_Detection#Playing_With_No_Detection]]

==The Kiryu-Kai Scenario==
This scenario will be based on the Kiryu Kai project which eventually was disbanded due to the failure to stop the invasion and lack of funding in 1998. Although the game starts in 1999 it really doesn't matter. So start the game in Superhuman difficulty and only have one base centred in Japan. Only use the Skyranger and Interceptor, don't use the Lightning, Firestorm or Avenger. Only use Earth Standard weaponry and don't research anything except the medikit, the motion scanner, alien lifeforms, alien origins and the Hyper-Wave Decoder. Sell all alien artefacts and weaponry and strive to play on until the Kiryu Kai (XCOM) is defeated or the Council has cut all funding. The Kiryu Kai Scenario is fun and challenging but remember, you are basically screwed from the beginning so just try to keep the Kiryu Kai existing as long as possible. - [[User:WakkaDakka]] Updated 20th May, 2015

[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

==Pistol only run==

Conditions for a complete Pistol only run:
*Research all available topics ([[Alien Reproduction]] optional)
*Equipment: [[Pistol]], [[Pistol|Pistol Clip]], [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanner]], [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kit]], [[Electro-flare|Electro-flare]], [[Smoke Grenade]], [[Stun Rod]] (limited use), [[Mind Probe]]
**Optional Equipment: [[Personal Armour]], [[Power Suit]], [[Flying Suit]]
**Optional Base Defence: One [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) allowed in your base
*No use of Psionics. [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may be used to decide which soldiers to keep/sack
*Crafts: All crafts and craft weapons may be used
**Optional Crafts: Limit yourself to the [[Skyranger]] and [[Interceptor|Interceptors]] and buyable craft weapons only (including [[Laser Cannon]])

*Optional Starting conditions: Empty base with only an Airlock (placed wherever you like), no staff, no aircrafts, no equipment, anything.

As the title suggests, you will limit yourself to the use of regular [[Pistol|pistols]] only throughout a playthrough of the game, preferably at Superhuman difficulty while also aiming to complete all research topics available (1x [[Alien Reproduction]] may be added to your inventory via an editor after successfully recovering a landed [[Supply Ship]], though Alien Reproduction will be optional and not hinder you to complete this run).

The only other equipment you may use are [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanners]] (always), [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kits]] (always), [[Electro-flare|Electro-flares]] (always), [[Smoke_Grenade|Smoke Grenades]] (always), [[Mind_Probe|Mind Probes]] (always) and [[Stun_Rod|Stun Rods]] (limited), which means the use of [[Psionics]], for you at least, is not allowed.

Stun Rods come with the limitation of only allowing you to capture one type of alien and rank with it, i.e. you may only capture ONE Sectoid Soldier and ONE Floater Soldier, etc., all the others will have to be killed after successfully capturing one of them. Exceptions will be alien [[Medic_(Alien_Rank)|Medics]], [[Navigator_(Alien_Rank)|Navigators]] and [[Engineer_(Alien_Rank)|Engineers]] in order to allow you to acquire otherwise unobtainable research topics (i.e. live Cyberdisc, Alien Missions, Alien UFO's, etc.), as soon as these research topics are completed, these alien ranks may no longer be stunned.

Whether or not you will allow yourself to use any of the new crafts and their weapons as well as upgrading soldier armour is up to you. I personally recommend on your first run though, that you will give every new craft a try as most players usually tend to skip all or some of them until they get to build the [[Avenger]], which is sad and may shorten the total time of a playing session. Make sure to use each craft type at least for 2 months before advancing to a newer one or going for the final mission (unless at that point you already have completed all the possible research topics).

Wearing anything above Personal Armour will ease the challenge a little when your units get mind controlled, as pistol shots won't be able to or hardly harm your own soldiers then, so again you may decide whether or not you will be upgrading to those (certainly an OK for your first run along with the air crafts and weapons).

Additionally, you MAY have one [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) in your base at all times for base defence missions, but never take one with you on your aircraft.

A [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may still be built though, for you to decide which soldiers to ditch and which to keep when it comes to fighting mind control during missions. There are no restrictions on the amount of bases you may build, your base layout or what facilities you may or may not build.

Other rules are:
*No save game abuse: If a soldier dies, a mission is lost, an aircraft is shot down or your base gets destroyed, then that's something you will have to live with.
**Optional: Do not abuse the interception bug that allows you to start every mission during daytime. For a tougher challenge unavoidable night missions add up to the difficulty. (This will also allow you to see the dawn/dusk colour-palette more often, which is really nice to experience in my opinion)

For an even tougher challenge on Superhuman difficulty, you can start a game without the standard base. Right when you begin a new game, sell/sack every Soldier (make sure to unassign them from the Skyranger together with the loaded equipment), Scientist, Engineer as well as the Skyranger and both Interceptors (equip both with Cannons beforehand), then proceed selling every equipment currently in your storage and dismantle all facilities. Then click the "Build new base" button to start the challenge with an empty base.

This will leave you with only your Airlock and around 3 million to start the Pistol only challenge with. Which means that your first month will definitely come with a negative score, as well as you needing to plan what facilities to build first in order to fight the aliens and not get terminated by the council.

On the other hand though, this allows you to go for a defensive base layout right from the beginning such as the [[Base_Layout_Strategy#Time-Efficient_Corridor_Build|Time efficient corridor build]] (if gone for this layout, make sure to rotate it by 90 degrees in order to avoid the [[Known_Bugs#Base_Disjoint_Bug|Base Disjoint]] bug). - [[User:Zac x Me|Zac x Me]] ([[User talk:Zac x Me|talk]]) 03:36, 26 September 2015 (EDT)

Making the Game Harder/Scenarios

2015-09-26T07:42:49Z

Zac x Me: /* Pistol only run */

====Funding Council Counterintelligence====

Expanding the Funding Council Income Only scenario, don't let even a single Infiltration mission succeed! If one country defects, it will start a series of events that result in X-COM being disbanded (ie. you have to start over the game). Confirmed (?) to be actually ''impossible'' on Superhuman.

===Rank-based equipment===

Only give the best stuff to officers. For example Squaddies have to use personal armors and laser rifles; rookies don't get armor at all. Advancing in ranks earns the privilege to use newest equipment. So Sergeants can use Power Suit, but not Flying Suit. Even better, only give Flying suit to your Commander. Of course, you never want to commit your most experienced troops to hazardous front line duties, so this creates extra challenge.

====Fire-mode restrictions====

'Cautious'-mode only available with long range ship weapons ([[Avalanche|Avalanche Missiles]] and the [[Fusion Ball Launcher]]). 'Aggressive'-mode with everything else, never 'standard'-mode.

Otherwise plasma beam is too powerful. Most alien ships have low range and are very fast. That they never return fire does not make any sense.

====Single Plasma beam on interceptors====

If a [[Plasma Beam]] is mounted on an [[Interceptor]] the other weapon slot must carry a less powerful canon ([[Cannon]] & [[Laser Cannon]]) or remain empty.

This creates a large niche for the [[Firestorm]] and the [[Lightning]].

===Solo Missions===
; Iron Man
If you are confident in yourself, use only one soldier. Knowing when to retreat and switch weapons at the dropship is essential, but try not to get wounded. Without friends with medkits around, fatal wounds are truly fatal. Get your popcorn out people and enjoy the show!

;Chuck Norris
Your best man, a rocket launcher, grenades, and an automatic rifle. Nothing invented before about 1970. A stun rod to simulate the devastating karate attack - watch out Aliens!

;Bruce Lee
One man, one stun rod. (You might want to cheat and max out your stats first.) They won't stand a chance!

;Bozo the Clown
One man, no weapons. And pray that either some aliens died during the crash or that they are stupid enough to hit one another with their weapons.

==Limited Military==

Limit X-COM to a set number of soldiers per game. Not at one time, per game. So every soldier killed or sacked is an irreplaceable resource. The easiest version of this could be 250 soldiers, maybe rolling down to as few as fifty, depends on the masochism of the player. Optionally, to help a bit, start with maximum hires by editing the starting base, or allow those who want to can increase the physical stats of soldiers up to their caps in SOLDIER.DAT if wanted and can start with maximum hires. (Leave Psi alone!) This game is winnable, but increasingly hard as you decrease troops as every man lost is a critical resource you never get back.

The very hard version of this is to try and complete the game with just the 8 soldiers you start with. It is
possible to complete the game with just one soldier if you really want to make the game harder. You better hope that he has good Psi skills as you will not find out for a few months. At least you'll have room for a 3 tanks on your Skyranger.

==Tour of Duty==

All soldiers sign up for only 15 missions in the beginning. After the soldier goes through 15 missions, they end their tour and quit X-COM for
good (are sacked) unless they have a solid ranking (sargeant or higher) . This forces purchase of new troops.
A useful challenge for savescummers to take away the edge of troops with good stats. For added difficulty try reducing the mission count or having all units be sacked after 15 missions.

==Battlescape Time Limits==

If you are used to playing the 'waiting game', pick up the pace. The Aliens aren't stupid. After 20 Turns in a UFO Ground Assault, they will take off again, leaving you empty handed (simulate this with a march back to the Transport, and Abort). After 20 Turns in a UFO Crash Recovery, the Engineers blow the reactor and destroy everything. Simulate this with a forced Abort on Turn 20, regardless of where everyone is at the time. Those who don't get airborne in the Transport are all missing or dead. Anything not hauled back to the Transport is lost.

===Limited Elerium===

Elerium is incredibly valuable, probably the most important strategic material ever encountered by mankind. Much too valuable for the CFN to leave it in the hands of those crazy commandos who run X-Com! The CFN governments insist on keeping most or all of the Elerium for their own use. You goet to see what it's like defending civilisation without it.

''50 Elerium Limit''

You are limited to only 50 units of Elerium for the whole game. Any surplus must be "sold" - i.e. returned to the CFN for a fraction of its real value. Keep in mind you need at least 12 units to build your Avenger, otherwise you can't win the game.

''Avenger Elerium Only''

You are only allowed to keep enough Elerium to fuel one mission of your Avenger (12 units). Everything else must be handed back to the CFN. This means you can't build anything that requires Elerium. It also means you must scavenge all the parts for your Avenger from UFOs.

''Mandatory Recycling''

As above, plus you are required to immediately hand over to the CFN ("sell") any captured items containing Elerium (except for the specific parts you need to build your ''one'' Avenger). This is so the CFN can send them to a top-secret Elerium Reprocessing plant for extraction of the precious Elerium. You are allowed to start Research projects on them when you first return them to Base, but then you must immediately hand them over to the CFN. You are not allowed to use these items (except during the actual Battlescape mission when you capture them - and even then your troops have to lie about the ammo counts and pretend the aliens fired them).

This means you can never hold any Plasma or Fusion/Blaster weapons or tanks, no Psi Amps or Mind Probes, no Stun bombs, alien grenades, Power/Flying suits. You can build a Firestorm or Lightning, but there's no point, since you can't operate it (since that expends Elerium). You can't arm your craft with Plasma Beams or Fusion Balls. Lasers are your best weapons: in the air, on your tanks, and in the hands of your troops.

As a quirk, you can still build Plasma or Fusion defences for your Bases, since those don't appear to require any Elerium. As mentioned elsewhere, perhaps these are powered by a regular power station instead of Elerium.

(If playing TFTD, you are allowed to hold one copy of an item in Stores, if it is needed to be present for a Technology advancement, but then you must sell it as soon as it is no longer needed, and you must never use it in combat.)

==No Detection==

Similar in concept to 1 Mission X-COM. No detection, and therefore no interception, of UFOs. Radar, airborne and hyperwave detection are ruled out. Almost as if the UFOs had some kind of ''stealth'' technology. This means no UFO Assault or UFO Crash Recovery missions. You are restricted to responding to Terror missions, Alien Base Assaults (when Alien Bases are detected by Agents only), and (possibly) Base Defence missions. This is quite hard as you get very little combat experience, artefacts or loot (and therefore very little cash). The Aliens also get a high score so many countries will defect. In fact, you cannot win this game, as there is no way to get UFO Navigations to build the Avenger. (Seb76's loader has 2 patches that do permit you to win: the "Roswell" UFO crashes option and an option where Base Control Tables don't explode.) More information here: [[Talk:UFO_Detection#Playing_With_No_Detection]]

==The Kiryu-Kai Scenario==
This scenario will be based on the Kiryu Kai project which eventually was disbanded due to the failure to stop the invasion and lack of funding in 1998. Although the game starts in 1999 it really doesn't matter. So start the game in Superhuman difficulty and only have one base centred in Japan. Only use the Skyranger and Interceptor, don't use the Lightning, Firestorm or Avenger. Only use Earth Standard weaponry and don't research anything except the medikit, the motion scanner, alien lifeforms, alien origins and the Hyper-Wave Decoder. Sell all alien artefacts and weaponry and strive to play on until the Kiryu Kai (XCOM) is defeated or the Council has cut all funding. The Kiryu Kai Scenario is fun and challenging but remember, you are basically screwed from the beginning so just try to keep the Kiryu Kai existing as long as possible. - [[User:WakkaDakka]] Updated 20th May, 2015

[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

==Pistol only run==

Conditions for a complete Pistol only run:
*Research all available topics ([[Alien Reproduction]] optional)
*Equipment: [[Pistol]], [[Pistol|Pistol Clip]], [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanner]], [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kit]], [[Electro-flare|Electro-flare]], [[Smoke Grenade]], [[Stun Rod]] (limited use), [[Mind Probe]]
**Optional Equipment: [[Personal Armour]], [[Power Suit]], [[Flying Suit]]
**Optional Base Defense: One [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) allowed in your base
*No use of Psionics. [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may be used to decide which soldiers to keep/sack
*Crafts: All crafts and craft weapons may be used
**Optional Crafts: Limit yourself to the [[Skyranger]] and [[Interceptor|Interceptors]] and buyable craft weapons only (including [[Laser Cannon]])

*Optional Starting conditions (requires an editor): Empty base with only an Airlock (placed whereever you like), no staff, no aircrafts, no equipment, anything.

As the title suggests, you will limit yourself to the use of regular [[Pistol|pistols]] only throughout a playthrough of the game, preferably at Superhuman difficulty while also aiming to complete all research topics available (1x [[Alien Reproduction]] may be added to your inventory via an editor after successfully recovering a landed [[Supply Ship]], though Alien Reproduction will be optional and not hinder you to complete this run).

The only other equipment you may use are [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanners]] (always), [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kits]] (always), [[Electro-flare|Electro-flares]] (always), [[Smoke_Grenade|Smoke Grenades]] (always), [[Mind_Probe|Mind Probes]] (always) and [[Stun_Rod|Stun Rods]] (limited), which means the use of [[Psionics]], for you at least, is not allowed.

Stun Rods come with the limitation of only allowing you to capture one type of alien and rank with it, i.e. you may only capture ONE Sectoid Soldier and ONE Floater Soldier, etc., all the others will have to be killed after successfully capturing one of them. Exceptions will be alien [[Medic_(Alien_Rank)|Medics]], [[Navigator_(Alien_Rank)|Navigators]] and [[Engineer_(Alien_Rank)|Engineers]] in order to allow you to aquire otherwise unobtainable research topics (i.e. live Cyberdisc, Alien Missions, Alien UFO's, etc.), as soon as these research topics are completed, these alien ranks may no longer be stunned.

Whether or not you will allow yourself to use any of the new crafts and their weapons as well as upgrading soldier armour is up to you. I personally recommend on your first run though, that you will give every new craft a try as most players usually tend to skip all or some of them until they get to build the [[Avenger]], which is sad and may shorten the total time of a playing session. Make sure to use each craft type at least for 2 months before advancing to a newer one or going for the final mission (unless at that point you already have completed all the possible research topics).

Wearing anything above Personal Armour will ease the challenge a little when your units get mind controlled, as pistol shots won't be able to or hardly harm your own soldiers then, so again you may decide wheter or not you will be upgrading to those (certainly an OK for your first run along with the air crafts and weapons).

Additionally, you MAY have one [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) in your base at all times for base defence missions, but never take one with you on your aircraft.

A [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may still be built though, for you to decide which soldiers to ditch and which to keep when it comes to fighting mind control during missions. There are no restrictions on the amount of bases you may build, your base layout or what facilities you may or may not build.

Other rules are:
*No save game abuse: If a soldier dies, a mission is lost, an aircraft is shot down or your base gets destroyed, then that's something you will have to live with.
**Optional: Do not abuse the interception bug that allows you to start every mission during daytime. For a tougher challenge unavoidable night missions add up to the difficulty. (This will also allow you to see the dawn/dusk colour-palette more often, which is really nice to experience in my opinion)

For an even tougher challenge on Superhuman difficulty, you can start a game without the standard base. Right when you begin a new game, sell/sack every Soldier (make sure to unassign them from the Skyranger together with the loaded equipment), Scientist, Engineer as well as the Skyranger and both Interceptors (equip both with Cannons beforehand), then proceed selling every equipment currently in your storage and dismantle all facilities. Then click the "Build new base" button to start the challenge with an empty base.

This will leave you with only your Airlock and around 3 million to start the Pistol only challenge with. Which means that your first month will definately come with a negative score, as well as you needing to plan what facilities to build first in order to fight the aliens and not get terminated by the council.

On the other hand though, this allows you to go for a defensive base layout right from the beginning such as the [[Base_Layout_Strategy#Time-Efficient_Corridor_Build|Time efficient corridor build]] (if gone for this layout, make sure to rotate it by 90 degrees in order to avoid the [[Known_Bugs#Base_Disjoint_Bug|Base Disjoint]] bug. - [[User:Zac x Me|Zac x Me]] ([[User talk:Zac x Me|talk]]) 03:36, 26 September 2015 (EDT)

Making the Game Harder/Scenarios

2015-09-26T07:36:56Z

Zac x Me: Pistol only run

====Funding Council Counterintelligence====

Expanding the Funding Council Income Only scenario, don't let even a single Infiltration mission succeed! If one country defects, it will start a series of events that result in X-COM being disbanded (ie. you have to start over the game). Confirmed (?) to be actually ''impossible'' on Superhuman.

===Rank-based equipment===

Only give the best stuff to officers. For example Squaddies have to use personal armors and laser rifles; rookies don't get armor at all. Advancing in ranks earns the privilege to use newest equipment. So Sergeants can use Power Suit, but not Flying Suit. Even better, only give Flying suit to your Commander. Of course, you never want to commit your most experienced troops to hazardous front line duties, so this creates extra challenge.

====Fire-mode restrictions====

'Cautious'-mode only available with long range ship weapons ([[Avalanche|Avalanche Missiles]] and the [[Fusion Ball Launcher]]). 'Aggressive'-mode with everything else, never 'standard'-mode.

Otherwise plasma beam is too powerful. Most alien ships have low range and are very fast. That they never return fire does not make any sense.

====Single Plasma beam on interceptors====

If a [[Plasma Beam]] is mounted on an [[Interceptor]] the other weapon slot must carry a less powerful canon ([[Cannon]] & [[Laser Cannon]]) or remain empty.

This creates a large niche for the [[Firestorm]] and the [[Lightning]].

===Solo Missions===
; Iron Man
If you are confident in yourself, use only one soldier. Knowing when to retreat and switch weapons at the dropship is essential, but try not to get wounded. Without friends with medkits around, fatal wounds are truly fatal. Get your popcorn out people and enjoy the show!

;Chuck Norris
Your best man, a rocket launcher, grenades, and an automatic rifle. Nothing invented before about 1970. A stun rod to simulate the devastating karate attack - watch out Aliens!

;Bruce Lee
One man, one stun rod. (You might want to cheat and max out your stats first.) They won't stand a chance!

;Bozo the Clown
One man, no weapons. And pray that either some aliens died during the crash or that they are stupid enough to hit one another with their weapons.

==Limited Military==

Limit X-COM to a set number of soldiers per game. Not at one time, per game. So every soldier killed or sacked is an irreplaceable resource. The easiest version of this could be 250 soldiers, maybe rolling down to as few as fifty, depends on the masochism of the player. Optionally, to help a bit, start with maximum hires by editing the starting base, or allow those who want to can increase the physical stats of soldiers up to their caps in SOLDIER.DAT if wanted and can start with maximum hires. (Leave Psi alone!) This game is winnable, but increasingly hard as you decrease troops as every man lost is a critical resource you never get back.

The very hard version of this is to try and complete the game with just the 8 soldiers you start with. It is
possible to complete the game with just one soldier if you really want to make the game harder. You better hope that he has good Psi skills as you will not find out for a few months. At least you'll have room for a 3 tanks on your Skyranger.

==Tour of Duty==

All soldiers sign up for only 15 missions in the beginning. After the soldier goes through 15 missions, they end their tour and quit X-COM for
good (are sacked) unless they have a solid ranking (sargeant or higher) . This forces purchase of new troops.
A useful challenge for savescummers to take away the edge of troops with good stats. For added difficulty try reducing the mission count or having all units be sacked after 15 missions.

==Battlescape Time Limits==

If you are used to playing the 'waiting game', pick up the pace. The Aliens aren't stupid. After 20 Turns in a UFO Ground Assault, they will take off again, leaving you empty handed (simulate this with a march back to the Transport, and Abort). After 20 Turns in a UFO Crash Recovery, the Engineers blow the reactor and destroy everything. Simulate this with a forced Abort on Turn 20, regardless of where everyone is at the time. Those who don't get airborne in the Transport are all missing or dead. Anything not hauled back to the Transport is lost.

===Limited Elerium===

Elerium is incredibly valuable, probably the most important strategic material ever encountered by mankind. Much too valuable for the CFN to leave it in the hands of those crazy commandos who run X-Com! The CFN governments insist on keeping most or all of the Elerium for their own use. You goet to see what it's like defending civilisation without it.

''50 Elerium Limit''

You are limited to only 50 units of Elerium for the whole game. Any surplus must be "sold" - i.e. returned to the CFN for a fraction of its real value. Keep in mind you need at least 12 units to build your Avenger, otherwise you can't win the game.

''Avenger Elerium Only''

You are only allowed to keep enough Elerium to fuel one mission of your Avenger (12 units). Everything else must be handed back to the CFN. This means you can't build anything that requires Elerium. It also means you must scavenge all the parts for your Avenger from UFOs.

''Mandatory Recycling''

As above, plus you are required to immediately hand over to the CFN ("sell") any captured items containing Elerium (except for the specific parts you need to build your ''one'' Avenger). This is so the CFN can send them to a top-secret Elerium Reprocessing plant for extraction of the precious Elerium. You are allowed to start Research projects on them when you first return them to Base, but then you must immediately hand them over to the CFN. You are not allowed to use these items (except during the actual Battlescape mission when you capture them - and even then your troops have to lie about the ammo counts and pretend the aliens fired them).

This means you can never hold any Plasma or Fusion/Blaster weapons or tanks, no Psi Amps or Mind Probes, no Stun bombs, alien grenades, Power/Flying suits. You can build a Firestorm or Lightning, but there's no point, since you can't operate it (since that expends Elerium). You can't arm your craft with Plasma Beams or Fusion Balls. Lasers are your best weapons: in the air, on your tanks, and in the hands of your troops.

As a quirk, you can still build Plasma or Fusion defences for your Bases, since those don't appear to require any Elerium. As mentioned elsewhere, perhaps these are powered by a regular power station instead of Elerium.

(If playing TFTD, you are allowed to hold one copy of an item in Stores, if it is needed to be present for a Technology advancement, but then you must sell it as soon as it is no longer needed, and you must never use it in combat.)

==No Detection==

Similar in concept to 1 Mission X-COM. No detection, and therefore no interception, of UFOs. Radar, airborne and hyperwave detection are ruled out. Almost as if the UFOs had some kind of ''stealth'' technology. This means no UFO Assault or UFO Crash Recovery missions. You are restricted to responding to Terror missions, Alien Base Assaults (when Alien Bases are detected by Agents only), and (possibly) Base Defence missions. This is quite hard as you get very little combat experience, artefacts or loot (and therefore very little cash). The Aliens also get a high score so many countries will defect. In fact, you cannot win this game, as there is no way to get UFO Navigations to build the Avenger. (Seb76's loader has 2 patches that do permit you to win: the "Roswell" UFO crashes option and an option where Base Control Tables don't explode.) More information here: [[Talk:UFO_Detection#Playing_With_No_Detection]]

==The Kiryu-Kai Scenario==
This scenario will be based on the Kiryu Kai project which eventually was disbanded due to the failure to stop the invasion and lack of funding in 1998. Although the game starts in 1999 it really doesn't matter. So start the game in Superhuman difficulty and only have one base centred in Japan. Only use the Skyranger and Interceptor, don't use the Lightning, Firestorm or Avenger. Only use Earth Standard weaponry and don't research anything except the medikit, the motion scanner, alien lifeforms, alien origins and the Hyper-Wave Decoder. Sell all alien artefacts and weaponry and strive to play on until the Kiryu Kai (XCOM) is defeated or the Council has cut all funding. The Kiryu Kai Scenario is fun and challenging but remember, you are basically screwed from the beginning so just try to keep the Kiryu Kai existing as long as possible. - [[User:WakkaDakka]] Updated 20th May, 2015

[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

==Pistol only run==

Conditions for a complete Pistol only run:
*Research all available topics ([[Alien Reproduction]] optional)
*Equipment: [[Pistol]], [[Pistol|Pistol Clip]], [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanner]], [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kit]], [[Electro-flare|Electro-flare]], [[Smoke Grenade]], [[Stun Rod]] (limited use), [[Mind Probe]]
**Optional Equipment: [[Personal Armour]], [[Power Suit]], [[Flying Suit]]
**Optional Base Defense: One [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) allowed in your base
*No use of Psionics. [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may be used to decide which soldiers to keep/sack
*Crafts: All crafts and craft weapons may be used
**Optional Crafts: Limit yourself to the [[Skyranger]] and [[Interceptor|Interceptors]] and buyable craft weapons only (including [[Laser Cannon]])

*Optional Starting conditions (requires an editor): Empty base with only an Airlock (placed whereever you like), no staff, no aircrafts, no equipment, anything.

As the title suggests, you will limit yourself to the use of regular [[Pistol|pistols]] only throughout a playthrough of the game, preferably at Superhuman difficulty while also aiming to complete all research topics available (1x [[Alien Reproduction]] may be added to your inventory via an editor after successfully recovering a landed [[Supply Ship]], though Alien Reproduction will be optional and not hinder you to complete this run).

The only other equipment you may use are [[Motion_Scanner|Motion Scanners]] (always), [[Medi-Kit_(EU)|Medi-Kits]] (always), [[Electro-flare|Electro-flares]] (always), [[Smoke_Grenade|Smoke Grenades]] (always), [[Mind_Probe|Mind Probes]] (always) and [[Stun_Rod|Stun Rods]] (limited), which means the use of [[Psionics]], for you at least, is not allowed.

Stun Rods come with the limitation of only allowing you to capture one type of alien and rank with it, i.e. you may only capture ONE Sectoid Soldier and ONE Floater Soldier, etc., all the others will have to be killed after successfully capturing one of them. Exceptions will be alien [[Medic_(Alien_Rank)|Medics]], [[Navigator_(Alien_Rank)|Navigators]] and [[Engineer_(Alien_Rank)|Engineers]] in order to allow you to aquire otherwise unobtainable research topics (i.e. live Cyberdisc, Alien Missions, Alien UFO's, etc.), as soon as these research topics are completed, these alien ranks may no longer be stunned.

Whether or not you will allow yourself to use any of the new crafts and their weapons as well as upgrading soldier armour is up to you. I personally recommend on your first run though, that you will give every new craft a try as most players usually tend to skip all or some of them until they get to build the [[Avenger]], which is sad and may shorten the total time of a playing session. Make sure to use each craft type at least for 2 months before advancing to a newer one or going for the final mission (unless at that point you already have completed all the possible research topics).

Wearing anything above Personal Armour will ease the challenge a little when your units get mind controlled, as pistol shots won't be able to or hardly harm your own soldiers then, so again you may decide wheter or not you will be upgrading to those (certainly an OK for your first run along with the air crafts and weapons).

Additionally, you MAY have one [[Heavy_Weapons_Platforms|HWP]] (any type) in your base at all times for base defence missions, but never take one with you on your aircraft.

A [[Psionic_Laboratory|Psionics Lab]] may still be built though, for you to decide which soldiers to ditch and which to keep when it comes to fighting mind control during missions. There are no restrictions on the amount of bases you may build, your base layout or what facilities you may or may not build.

Other rules are:
*No save game abuse: If a soldier dies, a mission is lost, an aircraft is shot down or your base gets destroyed, then that's something you will have to live with.
**Optional: Do not abuse the interception bug that allows you to start every mission during daytime. For a tougher challenge unavoidable night missions add up to the difficulty. (This will also allow you to see the dawn/dusk colour-palette more often, which is really nice to experience in my opinion)

For an even tougher challenge on Superhuman difficulty, you can start a game without the standard base. Right when you begin a new game, sell/sack every Soldier (make sure to unassign them from the Skyranger together with the loaded equipment), Scientist, Engineer as well as the Skyranger and both Interceptors (equip both with Cannons beforehand), then proceed selling every equipment currently in your storage and dismantle all facilities. Then click the "Build new base" button to start the challenge with an empty base.

This will leave you with only your Airlock and around 3 million to start the Pistol only challenge with. Which means that your first month will definately come with a negative score, as well as you needing to plan what facilities to build first in order to fight the aliens and not get terminated by the council.

On the other hand though, this allows you to go for a defensive base layout right from the beginning such as the [[Base_Layout_Strategy#Time-Efficient_Corridor_Build|Time efficient corridor build]]. - [[User:Zac x Me|Zac x Me]] ([[User talk:Zac x Me|talk]]) 03:36, 26 September 2015 (EDT)

Thermic Lance

2015-09-21T22:22:43Z

Zac x Me:

== General Information ==
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Thermic Lance
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 10
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Thermiclance.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice =
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|110 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = TU
| effect = Accuracy
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 15%
| effect = 160%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|12000|220| 3 | 2 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
* Can be a live saver in narrow passages during Cruiser Terror Missions, Colony Assaults and Artefact Sites
| cons =
* Lowest damage per Time Unit consumption compared to Vibro Blade and Heavy Thermic Lance
* With 10 weight units, rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
The Thermic Lance is the next generation of the [[Vibro Blade]], casting away the traditional spiral drill bit for a more powerful alien thermal rod.

The Thermic Lance is slower than the Vibroblade but has augmented stopping power that can kill the [[Lobsterman]], one of the hardiest foes X-COM has encountered, with one well placed attack. Even large terror units with plenty of exterior armor don't take too kindly to the torque put out by this drill.

As with the other drills, the aliens haven't an inkling on how to operate these devices. More's the mystery as to why they are even brought into combat! Instead they arm themselves with four [[Sonic Pulser]]s.

One peculiarity the scientists had when studying the Thermic Lance was that in order to understand how to operate the device, a dissection of a [[Gillman]] was required. How the internals of a Gillman and the drills are linked is a rather bizarre mystery.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Thermiclance.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Thermic Lance'''
* Damage: 110 Drill
** Attack Cost: 15%
** Base Accuracy: 160%
* Weight: 10
* Selling Cost: $1,800
* Build Cost: $12,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 220
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 2

== Usage notes ==

* While slower than the Vibro Blade, the Thermic Lance is not any heavier and as such strikes a good balance between power and weight. Still, it is not light and shouldn't be assigned to weak or rookie soldiers.

* Compared with the Vibro Blade and Heavy Thermic Lance at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Thermic Lance deals the least damage of the 3 melee ranged weapons. With only 440 damage total (4 uses) it places last, followed by the Heavy Thermic Lance with 450 damage (3 uses), while the Vibro Blade places first with a total of 480 damage (6 uses).

== See Also ==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]

Vibro Blade

2015-09-21T22:22:09Z

Zac x Me: /* General Information */

= General Information =
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Vibro Blade
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 10
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Vibroblade.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice =
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|80 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = TU
| effect = Accuracy
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 10%
| effect = 150%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|7000|150| 3 | 1 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Highest damage per Time Unit consumption compared to (Heavy) Thermic Lance
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
* Can be a live saver in narrow passages during Cruiser Terror Missions, Colony Assaults and Artefact Sites, especially when low on Time Units
| cons =
* With 10 weight units, rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
The Vibroblade is a melee weapon capable of dealing powerful attacks at close range. It is essentially a large drill with an ultra hard drill bit powered by a Zrbite power core.

While weakest of the drills, the attack of a Vibroblade is often deadly and will cripple even the strongest [[Lobsterman]] in a single attack. It is the fastest of the drills, making it well suited for scouts or anyone seeking to move quickly and perform a succession of rapid melee attacks. Be advised that the drills do not work against inanimate objects like walls or decorative fixtures.

The Vibroblade mainly fails against units with tough external armour, such as the [[Hallucinoid]]s and [[Xarquid]]s. For these aliens, the more powerful but slower [[Thermic Lance]] and [[Heavy Thermic Lance]] are better suited to puncturing heavy armor.

Despite being of alien origin, the aliens don't appear to have a clue how to use the drills for combat. Aliens armed with the drills are commonly grenadiers carrying ''four'' [[Sonic Pulser]]s. It is thought by some that the drill could be ceremonial or even a status symbol, though this is mere speculation at best.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Vibroblade.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Vibro Blade'''
* Damage: 80 Drill
** Attack Cost: 10%
** Base Accuracy: 150%
* Weight: 10
* Selling Cost: $1,500
* Build Cost: $7,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 150
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 1

== Usage notes ==

* It is worth noting that the alien AI does not know how to use any of the melee weapons. A [[Lobsterman]] carrying a drill will only attack with its claws. Aliens with drills are always given four [[Sonic Pulser]]s, so it's safe to assume that any alien carrying a drill will be a grenadier and have no ranged combat abilities.

* A limitation in the game engine's handling of melee attacks reduces the utility of the drills somewhat by preventing them from targeting inanimate objects like scenery objects and walls. They can only attack living enemy units.

* While the lightest of the drills, at 10 Weight units, the Vibroblade is still somewhat cumbersome. It should only be carried by advanced soldiers who can handle the extra burden.

* Compared with the Thermic Lance and Heavy Thermic Lance at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Vibro Blade deals a total of 480 damage (6 uses), while the Heavy Thermic Lance places second with 450 damage (3 uses) and the Thermic Lance places last with only 440 damage (4 uses).

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]

Heavy Thermic Lance

2015-09-21T22:20:49Z

Zac x Me: /* General Information */

== General Information ==
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Heavy Thermic Lance
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 15
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Heavythermic.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice = 2000
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|150 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = '''TU Cost'''
| effect = '''Accuracy'''
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 20%
| effect = 160%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|20000|300| 3 | 2 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Can easily one hit the majority of alien units (even Lobstermen)
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
* Can be a live saver in narrow passages during Cruiser Terror Missions, Colony Assaults and Artefact Sites
| cons =
* Medium damage per Time Unit consumption compared to Vibro Blade and Thermic Lance
* With 15 weight units heaviest of the 3 melee weapons and rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
As is common practice with practically all weapons of alien design, to get more power out of something the most common solution is to just make it bigger. As a result, the Heavy Thermic Lance is the heaviest, largest and slowest drill weapon to date. On the bright side, it has the potential to produce enough power to put even the [[Sonic Cannon]] to shame.

The Heavy Thermic Lance becomes available for research after completing research on the Thermic Lance.

The tradition of the first two drills continues with the aliens not having a clue how to use these devices as weapons. Again the drills will not activate when pointed at an inanimate object like a wall.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Usage notes ==

* Compared with the Thermic Lance and Vibro Blade at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Heavy Thermic Lance places second in terms of damage with a total of 450 damage (3 uses), while the Thermic Lance places last with only 440 damage (4 uses) and the Vibro Blade dealing most damage with 480 damage (6 uses).

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Heavythermic.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Heavy Thermic Lance'''
* Damage: 150 Drill
** Attack Cost: 20%
** Base Accuracy: 160%
* Weight: 15
* Selling Cost: $2,000
* Build Cost: $20,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 300
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 2

== Usage notes ==

* The inhuman power available to the wielder of a Heavy Thermic Lance is offset by the rather cumbersome weight of the device. At 15 weight units, it weighs as much as a [[Torpedo Launcher]] loaded with a Small Torpedo and just a bit less than a loaded [[Disruptor Pulse Launcher]]. As such, the Heavy Thermic Lance should only be distributed to strong soldiers who can handle it.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]

Heavy Thermic Lance

2015-09-21T22:18:48Z

Zac x Me: /* General Information */

== General Information ==
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Heavy Thermic Lance
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 15
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Heavythermic.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice = 2000
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|150 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = '''TU Cost'''
| effect = '''Accuracy'''
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 20%
| effect = 160%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|20000|300| 3 | 2 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Can easily one hit the majority of alien units (even Lobstermen)
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
| cons =
* Medium damage per Time Unit consumption compared to Vibro Blade and Thermic Lance
* With 15 weight units heaviest of the 3 melee weapons and rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
As is common practice with practically all weapons of alien design, to get more power out of something the most common solution is to just make it bigger. As a result, the Heavy Thermic Lance is the heaviest, largest and slowest drill weapon to date. On the bright side, it has the potential to produce enough power to put even the [[Sonic Cannon]] to shame.

The Heavy Thermic Lance becomes available for research after completing research on the Thermic Lance.

The tradition of the first two drills continues with the aliens not having a clue how to use these devices as weapons. Again the drills will not activate when pointed at an inanimate object like a wall.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Usage notes ==

* Compared with the Thermic Lance and Vibro Blade at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Heavy Thermic Lance places second in terms of damage with a total of 450 damage (3 uses), while the Thermic Lance places last with only 440 damage (4 uses) and the Vibro Blade dealing most damage with 480 damage (6 uses).

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Heavythermic.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Heavy Thermic Lance'''
* Damage: 150 Drill
** Attack Cost: 20%
** Base Accuracy: 160%
* Weight: 15
* Selling Cost: $2,000
* Build Cost: $20,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 300
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 2

== Usage notes ==

* The inhuman power available to the wielder of a Heavy Thermic Lance is offset by the rather cumbersome weight of the device. At 15 weight units, it weighs as much as a [[Torpedo Launcher]] loaded with a Small Torpedo and just a bit less than a loaded [[Disruptor Pulse Launcher]]. As such, the Heavy Thermic Lance should only be distributed to strong soldiers who can handle it.

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]

Thermic Lance

2015-09-21T22:16:27Z

Zac x Me:

== General Information ==
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Thermic Lance
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 10
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Thermiclance.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice =
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|110 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = TU
| effect = Accuracy
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 15%
| effect = 160%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|12000|220| 3 | 2 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
| cons =
* Lowest damage per Time Unit consumption compared to Vibro Blade and Heavy Thermic Lance
* With 10 weight units, rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
The Thermic Lance is the next generation of the [[Vibro Blade]], casting away the traditional spiral drill bit for a more powerful alien thermal rod.

The Thermic Lance is slower than the Vibroblade but has augmented stopping power that can kill the [[Lobsterman]], one of the hardiest foes X-COM has encountered, with one well placed attack. Even large terror units with plenty of exterior armor don't take too kindly to the torque put out by this drill.

As with the other drills, the aliens haven't an inkling on how to operate these devices. More's the mystery as to why they are even brought into combat! Instead they arm themselves with four [[Sonic Pulser]]s.

One peculiarity the scientists had when studying the Thermic Lance was that in order to understand how to operate the device, a dissection of a [[Gillman]] was required. How the internals of a Gillman and the drills are linked is a rather bizarre mystery.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Thermiclance.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Thermic Lance'''
* Damage: 110 Drill
** Attack Cost: 15%
** Base Accuracy: 160%
* Weight: 10
* Selling Cost: $1,800
* Build Cost: $12,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 220
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 2

== Usage notes ==

* While slower than the Vibro Blade, the Thermic Lance is not any heavier and as such strikes a good balance between power and weight. Still, it is not light and shouldn't be assigned to weak or rookie soldiers.

* Compared with the Vibro Blade and Heavy Thermic Lance at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Thermic Lance deals the least damage of the 3 melee ranged weapons. With only 440 damage total (4 uses) it places last, followed by the Heavy Thermic Lance with 450 damage (3 uses), while the Vibro Blade places first with a total of 480 damage (6 uses).

== See Also ==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]

Thermic Lance

2015-09-21T22:10:57Z

Zac x Me: /* General Information */

== General Information ==
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Thermic Lance
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 10
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Thermiclance.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice =
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|110 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = TU
| effect = Accuracy
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 15%
| effect = 160%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|12000|220| 3 | 2 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
| cons =
* Lowest damage per Time Unit consumption compared to Vibro Blade and Heavy Thermic Lance
* With 10 weight units, rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
The Thermic Lance is the next generation of the [[Vibro Blade]], casting away the traditional spiral drill bit for a more powerful alien thermal rod.

The Thermic Lance is slower than the Vibroblade but has augmented stopping power that can kill the [[Lobsterman]], one of the hardiest foes X-COM has encountered, with one well placed attack. Even large terror units with plenty of exterior armor don't take too kindly to the torque put out by this drill.

As with the other drills, the aliens haven't an inkling on how to operate these devices. More's the mystery as to why they are even brought into combat! Instead they arm themselves with four [[Sonic Pulser]]s.

One peculiarity the scientists had when studying the Thermic Lance was that in order to understand how to operate the device, a dissection of a [[Gillman]] was required. How the internals of a Gillman and the drills are linked is a rather bizarre mystery.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Usage notes ==

* Compared with the Vibro Blade and Heavy Thermic Lance at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Thermic Lance deals the least damage of the 3 melee ranged weapons. With only 440 damage total (4 uses) it places last, followed by the Heavy Thermic Lance with 450 damage (3 uses), while the Vibro Blade places first with a total of 480 damage (6 uses).

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Thermiclance.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Thermic Lance'''
* Damage: 110 Drill
** Attack Cost: 15%
** Base Accuracy: 160%
* Weight: 10
* Selling Cost: $1,800
* Build Cost: $12,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 220
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 2

== Usage notes ==

* While slower than the Vibro Blade, the Thermic Lance is not any heavier and as such strikes a good balance between power and weight. Still, it is not light and shouldn't be assigned to weak or rookie soldiers.

== See Also ==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]

Vibro Blade

2015-09-21T22:05:24Z

Zac x Me: /* General Information */

= General Information =
{{Infobox open}}
{{Infobox module/itemcommon
| item = Vibro Blade
| height = 3
| width = 2
| weight = 10
| damagethreshold = 20
| image = [[Image:Vibroblade.gif|100 px]]
| saleprice =
| research =
}}
{{Infobox module/row1-2|Damage|80 Drill}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Action
| cost = TU
| effect = Accuracy
}}
{{Infobox module/action
| action = Attack
| cost = 10%
| effect = 150%
}}
{{Infobox module/manufacture|7000|150| 3 | 1 Zrbite }}
{{Infobox close}}
{| align="center" style="background-color:lightGray;" cellspacing="0" border="1"
{{Infobox module/keyfeatures
| features =
* Melee range only
| pros =
* Highest damage per Time Unit consumption compared to (Heavy) Thermic Lance
* Mind controlled units can't use it on your troops
| cons =
* With 10 weight units, rather combersome for low strenght soldiers
* Cannot destroy terrain
}}
|}
The Vibroblade is a melee weapon capable of dealing powerful attacks at close range. It is essentially a large drill with an ultra hard drill bit powered by a Zrbite power core.

While weakest of the drills, the attack of a Vibroblade is often deadly and will cripple even the strongest [[Lobsterman]] in a single attack. It is the fastest of the drills, making it well suited for scouts or anyone seeking to move quickly and perform a succession of rapid melee attacks. Be advised that the drills do not work against inanimate objects like walls or decorative fixtures.

The Vibroblade mainly fails against units with tough external armour, such as the [[Hallucinoid]]s and [[Xarquid]]s. For these aliens, the more powerful but slower [[Thermic Lance]] and [[Heavy Thermic Lance]] are better suited to puncturing heavy armor.

Despite being of alien origin, the aliens don't appear to have a clue how to use the drills for combat. Aliens armed with the drills are commonly grenadiers carrying ''four'' [[Sonic Pulser]]s. It is thought by some that the drill could be ceremonial or even a status symbol, though this is mere speculation at best.

The drill-based weapons were introduced in ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]''. They are the only forms of equipment to have no direct equivalents in the previous game, ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''.

== Vital Statistics ==

[[Image:Vibroblade.gif|right|100 px]]

'''Vibro Blade'''
* Damage: 80 Drill
** Attack Cost: 10%
** Base Accuracy: 150%
* Weight: 10
* Selling Cost: $1,500
* Build Cost: $7,000 plus:
** Technician Hrs: 150
** Workshop Space: 3
** Zrbite: 1

== Usage notes ==

* It is worth noting that the alien AI does not know how to use any of the melee weapons. A [[Lobsterman]] carrying a drill will only attack with its claws. Aliens with drills are always given four [[Sonic Pulser]]s, so it's safe to assume that any alien carrying a drill will be a grenadier and have no ranged combat abilities.

* A limitation in the game engine's handling of melee attacks reduces the utility of the drills somewhat by preventing them from targeting inanimate objects like scenery objects and walls. They can only attack living enemy units.

* While the lightest of the drills, at 10 Weight units, the Vibroblade is still somewhat cumbersome. It should only be carried by advanced soldiers who can handle the extra burden.

* Compared with the Thermic Lance and Heavy Thermic Lance at a total use of 60% Time Units, the Vibro Blade deals a total of 480 damage (6 uses), while the Heavy Thermic Lance places second with 450 damage (3 uses) and the Thermic Lance places last with only 440 damage (4 uses).

==See Also==
* [[Weapons (TFTD)|Weapons]]

{{Equipment (TFTD) Navbar}}

[[Category:Equipment (TFTD)]][[Category:Research (TFTD)]]
[[Category:TFTD]]