Latest revision as of 12:52, 16 November 2023

Battlescape Fighting Strategies and Tactics against the Aliens.

Battlescape

The battlescape will be identical for the type of crashed UFO, but the aliens will be placed randomly at the start. eg: it is possible to have eggs spawn outside.
The terrain in which the UFO rests is not owned by anyone and its destruction does not influence the 'Damage to City' score.
Craft armaments are visible on the hull and may explode from further damage.

UFO Crashed Landscape

UFO crash-recovery battlescapes have a typical layout of:

Access somewhere at ground level, commonly in a excavated dirt trench with spot fires. One UFO has crashed into the side of a hill which has tunnels and pipes within and broken windows elsewhere.
Beam weapons are visible on the outside circumference (the skin) of the every UFO with some crafts having multiple missile weapons located on the roof within pop-up pods.
A uniform colour of the outside skin and roof, typically has small sections of skin coloured differently. These parts are windows with some being translucent.
The UFO roof may be oddly shaped with large circular darker skin 'disks' or areas which cannot be accessed due to height restrictions.
Doors, some with ramps to ground level, are always the main entry points into all UFO types.
A single grav-lift within the exact middle of the floorplan which allows access to higher levels inside the UFO.
Beam weapons are visible inside the craft near the perimeter and if capable, missile weapon ammunition is stored wholly exposed within open areas inside the craft.
If used, multiple grav-lifts and ramps allow access to all remaining parts of the UFO floorplan where craft devices such as shield modules, teleporters, cloaking devices, etc. may be stored.
All internal areas will contain multiple engines, fuel stores, and control systems.

⊗ Devices which are found inside a UFO does not indicate what will be recovered.

Destruction

Everything but the grav-lifts inside a UFO can be destroyed resulting in collapse, small fires, explosions, gas clouds etc. Fuel stores, missiles, engines etc. are especially dangerous due to massive explosions when hit from even the lightest weaponry, often resulting in complete destruction of the immediate area including breeches of the hull ...which can be an alternative entry point into the UFO.

Skin Breech

Unconventional access is prefered if faced with difficult or deadly lifeforms.
External weapons (perimeter or roof) can be destroyed to create a hole.
Roof access from a breech in the (exact) center, usually directly above the main grav-lift, allows alternative access to the floorplan, bypassing an ambush near entry doors, negating Poppers getting close, limiting Brainsuckers effectiveness by hindering its jumping ability, and allows agents to easily drop high explosives or stun grenades into the hole (the disposal chute tactic).
The 'windows' at the circumference can allow direct access to the floorplan if breeched, instead of cutting through multiple layers of thick hull at randoms area.
Detonation of the craft's internal engines/fuel store (caution falling debris) which are located close to the hull wall may produce large holes and cause possible collapse of internal platforms and walkways, etc.
Translucent windows allow an X-Com agent to peer inside the UFO.

Starting An Assault

Note: real-time discription
There are two main scenarios for battlescape crash recovery: the aliens are already outside, or the aliens are still inside!
Develop tactics that work for you! ...depending on loadout, agent quantity or type etc. This is only a basic suggestion.

Outside

The UFO crash site is always in terrain which contains alot of trees. Agents walking and cautious will fire on anything hostile and use cover, unless flying. Sweep the battlescape (including the roof when skeletoids are present) to kill off any surprises. Locate the doors...

Inside

...at first opportunity, throw a primed proximity mine near each door. Poppers love proximity mines! One door is commonly in a trench, so position your agents on the ridge on both sides of the door, however if not in a trench, position your agents in a large semi-circle facing the door and wait for the mine to go off. When the commotion starts, throw a stun grenade where the door was and kill any that try to escape the cloud. Keep refreshing the stun gas cloud to diminish any smoke grenade effect. When it the initial rush of aliens slows, kill the stunned via forced fire which are not needed for research (with agents that need experience) or stand on the alien body to 'save it' for live recovery. Careful of wounded Poppers! If no more aliens are willing to ~~get killed~~ exit the craft, use Cautious Attitude (green) and Walk then enter the UFO. A motion scanner is useful. Find the chrysalis or eggs and you should find the rest of them. Usually when there are no coccoons or eggs, all aliens will exit their craft.

No Movement?

It is possible that the route to the outside is blocked by Chrysalises or Multiworm Eggs within the corridors. If a proxity mine is active and no aliens are exiting the craft (time estimation only: 5minutes Real-Time or 20turns Turn-Based), then use a grenade to destroy the active mine so that access to the door is safe or breech the hull or roof.

Next: Live Alien Capture
Previous: Engage The Enemy
Return to Start

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 '''Battlescape Fighting Strategies and Tactics''' against the Aliens.<br>
-=Battlescape General=
+=Battlescape=
 * The battlescape will be identical for the type of crashed UFO, but the aliens will be placed randomly at the start. eg: it is possible to have eggs spawn outside.
 * The terrain in which the UFO rests is not owned by anyone and its destruction does not influence the 'Damage to City' score.
 * Craft armaments are visible on the hull and may explode from further damage.
-==UFO Crash Landscape==
-Alien crash-recovery battlescapes typically have a basic layout of:
+==UFO Crashed Landscape==
-* Access somewhere at ground level and always via a door (with only one single [[Alien_Battleship_(Apocalypse)|exception]]).
+UFO crash-recovery battlescapes have a typical layout of:
-* External armaments visible on the perimeter and on the roof.
+* Access somewhere at ground level, commonly in a excavated dirt trench with spot fires. One UFO has crashed into the side of a hill which has tunnels and pipes within and broken windows elsewhere.
-* Sections of the outer skin and roof coloured differently to the general colour of the whole UFO to resemble 'windows' (some are translucent).
+* Beam weapons are visible on the outside circumference (the skin) of the every UFO with some crafts having multiple missile weapons located on the roof within pop-up pods.
-* Roof typically has large circular darker skin sections which are more resistant to damage.
+* A uniform colour of the outside skin and roof, typically has small sections of skin coloured differently. These parts are windows with some being translucent.
-* Grav lift access to higher levels inside the UFO.
+* The UFO roof may be oddly shaped with large circular darker skin 'disks' or areas which cannot be accessed due to height restrictions.
-* Armaments visible inside the craft near the perimeter, typically near 'windows'.
+* Doors, some with ramps to ground level, are always the main entry points into all UFO types.
-* A UFO that is also eqipped with missile weapons, the weapon's ammunition is stored in exposed areas inside the craft.
+* A single grav-lift within the exact middle of the floorplan which allows access to higher levels inside the UFO.
-* Craft devices located in small rooms in the upper sections.
+* Beam weapons are visible inside the craft near the perimeter and if capable, missile weapon ammunition is stored wholly exposed within open areas inside the craft.
-* Multiple [[Alien_Propulsion_System_(Apocalypse)|engines]], [[Alien_Energy_Source_(Apocalypse)|fuel]] stores, and [[Alien_Control_System_(Apocalypse)|control]] systems.
+* If used, multiple grav-lifts and ramps allow access to all remaining parts of the UFO floorplan where craft devices such as shield modules, teleporters, cloaking devices, etc. may be stored.
-* A trench in the terrain usually with spot fires and smoke.<br>
+* All internal areas will contain multiple [[Alien_Propulsion_System_(Apocalypse)|engines]], [[Alien_Energy_Source_(Apocalypse)|fuel]] stores, and [[Alien_Control_System_(Apocalypse)|control]] systems.<br>
+&otimes; Devices which are found inside a UFO [[Alien_Craft_(Apocalypse)#Craft_Battlescapes|does not indicate]] what will be recovered.
 ===[[UFO_Complete_Destruction_(Apocalypse)|Destruction]]===
 Everything but the grav-lifts inside a UFO can be destroyed resulting in collapse, small fires, explosions, gas clouds etc. Fuel stores, missiles, engines etc. are especially dangerous due to massive explosions when hit from even the lightest weaponry, often resulting in complete destruction of the immediate area including breeches of the hull ...which can be an alternative entry point into the UFO.<br>
-Note: Craft devices (shield modules, cloaking device, teleporter, etc.) will be present inside the alien craft even though such devices were not activated in cityscape combat. Recovery of these technologies is only possible when they used first by the alien menace, which depends on [[Tech_Levels_(Apocalypse)|UFOs Shot Down]] score.
 ===Skin Breech===
 * Unconventional access is prefered if faced with [[Psimorph_(Apocalypse)|difficult]] or [[Megaspawn_(Apocalypse)|deadly]] lifeforms.
 * External weapons (perimeter or roof) can be destroyed to create a hole.
-* Roof access from a hole in the (exact) center is usually directly above the main grav-lift which may allow bypassing an ambush.
+* Roof access from a breech in the (exact) center, usually directly above the main grav-lift, allows alternative access to the floorplan, bypassing an ambush near entry doors, negating Poppers getting close, limiting Brainsuckers effectiveness by hindering its jumping ability, and allows agents to easily drop high explosives or stun grenades into the hole (the ''disposal chute'' tactic).
-* The 'windows' at the perimeter can allow direct access to the floorplan if breeched (instead of cutting through multiple layers of thick hull at randoms area).
+* The 'windows' at the circumference can allow direct access to the floorplan if breeched, instead of cutting through multiple layers of thick hull at randoms area.
-* Detonation of the craft's internal engines/fuel store (caution falling debris) which are close to the external wall may produce large holes and may collapse internal platforms, walkways, etc.
+* Detonation of the craft's internal engines/fuel store (caution falling debris) which are located close to the hull wall may produce large holes and cause possible collapse of internal platforms and walkways, etc.
-* Craft armaments (one of each) will [[UFO_Complete_Destruction_(Apocalypse)|always be recovered]] irrelevant of damage sustained to the hull.
+* Translucent windows allow an X-Com agent to peer inside the UFO.
 ==Starting An Assault==
 ''Note: real-time discription''<br>
 There are two main scenarios for battlescape crash recovery: the aliens are already '''outside''', or the aliens are still '''inside'''!<br>
 ''Develop tactics that work for you! ...depending on loadout, agent quantity or type etc. This is only a basic '''suggestion'''.''
 ===Outside===
 The UFO crash site is always in terrain which contains alot of trees. Agents walking and cautious will fire on anything hostile and use [[Take_Cover!|cover]], unless flying. Sweep the battlescape (including the roof when skeletoids are present) to kill off any surprises. Locate the doors...
 ===Inside===
-...at first opportunity, throw a primed proximity mine near each door. Poppers love proximity mines! One door is commonly in a trench, so position your agents on the ridge on both sides of the door, however if not in a trench, position your agents in a large semi-circle facing the door and wait for the mine to go off. When the commotion starts, throw a stun grenade where the door was and kill any that try to escape the cloud. Keep refreshing the stun gas cloud to diminish any smoke grenade effect. When it the initial rush of aliens slows, kill the stunned via forced fire which are not needed for research (with agents that need experience) or stand on the alien body to 'save it' for live recovery. Careful of Poppers! If no more aliens are willing to <s>get killed</s> exit the craft, use Cautious Attitude (green) then walk troops into the UFO. A motion scanner is useful. Find the chrysalids and you should find the rest of them. Usually when there are no coccoons or eggs, all aliens will exit their craft.
+...at first opportunity, throw a primed proximity mine near each door. Poppers love proximity mines! One door is commonly in a trench, so position your agents on the ridge on both sides of the door, however if not in a trench, position your agents in a large semi-circle facing the door and wait for the mine to go off. When the commotion starts, throw a stun grenade where the door was and kill any that try to escape the cloud. Keep refreshing the stun gas cloud to diminish any smoke grenade effect. When it the initial rush of aliens slows, kill the stunned via forced fire which are not needed for research (with agents that need experience) or stand on the alien body to 'save it' for live recovery. Careful of wounded Poppers! If no more aliens are willing to <s>get killed</s> exit the craft, use Cautious Attitude (green) and Walk then enter the UFO. A motion scanner is useful. Find the chrysalis or eggs and you should find the rest of them. Usually when there are no coccoons or eggs, all aliens will exit their craft.
-==[[Alien_Craft_(Apocalypse)|UFO]] Crash Recovery==
-Tactics specific for each UFO, check each page for: ''Battlescape Information''.<br>
+====No Movement?====
-[[Alien_Transporter_(Apocalypse)|Transporter]]<br>
+It is possible that the route to the outside is blocked by Chrysalises or Multiworm Eggs within the corridors. If a proxity mine is active and no aliens are exiting the craft (time estimation only: 5minutes Real-Time or 20turns Turn-Based), then use a grenade to destroy the active mine so that access to the door is safe or breech the hull or roof.
-[[Alien_Fast-Attack_Ship_(Apocalypse)|Fast Attack]]<br>
-[[Alien_Destroyer_(Apocalypse)|Destroyer]]<br>
-[[Alien_Assault_Ship_(Apocalypse)|Assault]]<br>
+[[Capturing_Live_Aliens_(Apocalypse)|Next: Live Alien Capture]]<br>
-[[Alien_Bomber_(Apocalypse)|Bomber]]<br>
+[[Engaging_the_Enemy_(Apocalypse)|Previous: Engage The Enemy]]<br>
-[[Alien_Escort_Ship_(Apocalypse)|Escort]]<br>
+[[Tactics_(Apocalypse)|Return to Start]]
-[[Alien_Battleship_(Apocalypse)|Battleship]]<br>
-[[Alien_Mothership_(Apocalypse)|Mothership]]<br>
-=Buildings In Mega-Primus=
+==See Also==
-* When fighting inside any building, conservative use of explosives is recommended, unless the building is owned by a hostile organisation.
+* [[Alien_Craft_(Apocalypse)|UFOs]]
-* Small X-Com cleanup crew = Small battlescape (if not heavily infested).
+* [[Buildings_(Apocalypse)|Mega-Primus Buildings]].
-* Time is not an issue. Don't rush.
+* [[Alien_Buildings_And_Combat_Tactics|Alien Dimension Chambers]]
-* Motion scanner is essential. No surprises = no ambush.
-* Civilians are good target practice!
-===Slums===
-All slums are nine levels high with terrain which is diverse. Flat open areas of dirty woodland to large derelict buildings for squatters.<br>
-Aliens will move about in large loose groups unless eggs or coccoons need protection. Searching rooms can become (very tedious in Turn-Based combat) easier if a motion scanner is used. Trapping a hostile in a building by demolishing parts of it is an easy method to isolate an alien if needed for a later stun, or target practice if not. Hit-and-run style of fighting may be a better option within areas such as grasslands (weak cover) or roads (no cover) if not using smoke. Flying and dropping bombs/gas, hiding on the roof with snipers or grenadiers, ambush with swords in a corridor is an easy method to neutralise dangerous units. Splitting a hostile force into smaller groups is possible by removing walkways, stairs, etc. since some units cannot jump.<br>
-A dirty blight on the sterile city of Mega-Primus.
-===Temple Of Sirius===
-Indoor church-like terrain with large rooms seperated by weak walls, doors in some corners and some with small tunnels underneath.<br>
-The rooms are not complicated and offer many areas of cover. The divider walls are easily destroyed and allows a more direct route for long range weapons. Maximum height is four levels so flying is not important. Tunnels offer the better movement option since open areas above may allow missiles to fly cleanly or your troops to be flanked by the cultists.<br>
-Zealots and guns!
-===Corporate Headquarters===
-Large. Expensive. Modern. Three styles of executive buildings with open areas of sparse wooded grasslands.<br>
-One style of battlescape is a single large building with massive entrance staircase and large lobby which commonly is the area of battle due to the grav lift able to move a large force without restriction. The upper levels will often hide the remaining hostile units if they are not hiding amongst the trees.<br>
-A second style of battlescape a wide, long thoroughfare lined with numerous multi-level small office bloocks. Hostiles usually are loitering on the main route with some in the upper office levels. Any isolated enemy may be found in the tunnels between the offices.<br>
-The last style contains office blocks with banked grassy slopes. The scattered placement of the offices governs a more methodical approach when sweeping the battlescape since tunnels and corridors allow easy flanking movements or ambushes.<br>
-The coffee doesn't taste right.
-===Apartments===
-A hotel style of battlescape with grid like pattern of repetitive two-level rooms with garish wallpaper and carpets.<br>
-Clean and simple hallways connecting the budget rooms allows long range firefights interspread with hostile ambushes when searching the rooms for stragglers. Flight is restricted and not necessary. Smoke will allow cover in longer hallways. Aliens are usually grouped in one part with roaming poppers being a deadly threat due to limited height. A motion scanner should be used to check the rooms. Any anomalous traces inside should be destroyed with explosive thrown from outside to blow out the walls. The doors are choke-points.<br>
-No room service!
-===Megapol Police Station===
-A convoluted design of flammable corridors connecting many rooms of various size providing ambush opportunities within the three-level battlescape.<br>
-Fighting is common to the room level since tunnel access is usually restricted to just a single door. A sweep with higher reaction skilled X-Com troopers is recommended due to the small offices and narrow corridors limiting evasive movement from explosives. Tunnels are straight and can be level-long; rockets being the deadliest since no opportunity to dodge except at intersections. Removing the floor above hostiles in the tunnels limits their ambushes.<br>
-No criminals in the cells!
-===Lifetree Schools===
-The ultimate in convoluted design! A small squad usually gets a 3-level battlescape, large squads get double height of the segments (the 3-level segments are mixed again, then placed on top of the original 3). Thats why everyone says school sucks!<br>
-Large classrooms with hallways allowing entry via grav lift into basement corridors (sub-floor space of segments). Aliens are commonly found moving throughout the level via these spaces and will flank agents from multiple directions. Methodical clearance of each segment needs a larger than usual X-Com force to remove surprises. If double height, these sub-space corridors are now 'above their heads' which can be made impassable by explosives from below.
-===Arms Factory===
-A concrete shell of large areas manufacturing and testing missiles of various types, storage rooms big and small, small office areas and occasionally a [[Autotrans_(Apocalypse)|Autotrans]] vehicle for deliveries.<br>
-Missile testing rooms and scattered missile parts are common in many factory segments and are very explosive! Office segments are compact and flammable.<br>
-No smoking!
-===Sewage Works===
-A complicated design of large pipes, round ponds full of 'chocloate bars'<!-- HAHAA, remove if deemed inappropriate -->, restrictive access for ground-based units but ideal for ambush.<br>
-Smells like flowers!
-===Power Station===
-A simple and clean design of wind and hydro generators with backup gas burning power facilities. Overhead view looks like a circuit diagram.<!-- MORE -->
-===Senso & Astro Domes===
-Large open areas with stadium seating and dining rooms. Sensovision contains television production rooms, Gravball League contains locker rooms. <!-- MORE -->
-===Industrial And Manufacturing===
-[[Cyberweb|Robot Factory]], [[Nanotech|Appliances Factory]], [[Synthemesh|Construction Factory]], [[Superdynamics|Large Flyer Factory]], [[Megapol|Flyer Factory]], [[General_Metro|Car Factory]]. Open-plan factory floor with numerous conveyor belts, worktables, process machinery, storage, with many robotic workers...  <!-- MORE -->
-===Hydro Farms===
-Food production facility by Nutrivend for an organic plant-based diet. No meat! Large structures of tiered greenhouses for vertical farming.  <!-- MORE -->
-===Recyclotoriums===
-A waste processing facility of all of garbage generated in Mega-Primus. A long snaking trough filled with trash. Small overhead walkways and the occasional power cabinet. Recycles all matter. <!-- MORE -->
-[[Engaging_the_Enemy_(Apocalypse)|'''Previous''' Page]] [[Capturing_Live_Aliens_(Apocalypse)|'''Next''' Page]] [[Tactics_(Apocalypse)|Return to Start]]
 [[Category: Apocalypse]]