Megaspawn (Apocalypse)

General Information

UFOpaedia entry

Megaspawn Official Entry "It is difficult to disable the Megaspawn's weapon systems because they are an intrinsic part of its structure. One weapon uses energy beams while the other fires a powerful organic missile, which is generated by specialized organs. Our tests also conclude that the Megaspawn is protected from Psionic attacks." Megaspawn Autopsy Official Entry "The Megaspawn is essentially a huge organic weapons platform. It has two distinct weapons systems grown into its body. Although these must be added artificially, the nervous system is directly connected to them, suggesting that the creature is solely a genetically engineered combat unit."

Source:

Megaspawn live specimen

Megaspawn Autopsy

The Megaspawn is a very large and heavily armed enemy that towers over agents and other humanoids. Though they are called "weapons platforms" and can easily fit the terror unit classifications of the past wars, Megaspawn are primarily used as defenders on some UFOs and are found in many buildings in the Alien Dimension.

Megaspawn have a lot of health and have two built-in modes of attack. Their primary weapon consists of a disrupter beam that is similar (if not identical) to the Devastator Cannon. It uses this weapon at all ranges.

The second form of attack is a built in launcher that fires Dimension Missiles. This is perhaps the Megaspawn's deadliest form of attack, but is not used at close range.

The large size and height of the Megaspawn preclude them from entering small spaces, and they appear to have some difficulty climbing slopes. Megaspawn also have a habit of fleeing from Agents if they are too close to them.

Notes/Tips

• Megaspawn, like many other aliens, are not affected by psionic attacks but can be probed to check their vital statistics. This is useful for determining how much damage they must be dealt for a capture.
• If agents are too close to a Megaspawn, it will attempt to space itself by fleeing (presumably to get into missile launcher range).

Capturing

Capturing Megaspawn, or any alien for that matter, is a two phase process. The first is to approach it, and the second is to capture.

Step 1

The approach is generally the most difficult task because of their heavy firepower. Clever use of terrain/tools, such as the every-day Megapol Smoke Grenade combined with the Personal Cloaking Field, are great ways to bridge the gap.

A brute force method of getting close to a Megaspawn is to load agents up with 2 or more fully charged Personal Disruptor Shields and then perform a mad dash towards it. If done with multiple agents, it might be wise to spread them out wide and run in simultaneously. It will only be able to target one agent at a time, limiting the total amount of damage taken.

If the terrain allows it, a Megaspawn is confined in a small area and your agents are able to stay out of sight: consider saturating the room with stun gas for a moment before rushing in. If you plan to deploy smoke grenades to mask your approach, don't forget that the smoke will cancel the stun gas.

Step 2

The actual act of capturing the Megaspawn is no different from any other alien with a lot of hit-points. Inflict stun damage and gradually damage it until it is below the stun level.

Note: The maximum stun level that can be inflicted is twice the listed strength of the stun weapon. So its health needs to be brought down to just under that level.

While damaging it, try to keep the stun level constant. This is can be achieved by keeping at least one stun grapple ready.

Once the Megaspawn has collapsed, it can be held down on the ground by having an agent stand on any one of its quarters.

All that remains is to end the mission. Like any capture that involves first inflicting damage to the specimen, speed is often of the essence as the Megaspawn may be bleeding to death.

Old Article

You remember those wonderful little Heavy Weapons Platforms (Tanks) that you got in the first game? This is their equivalent. And lucky for you, you don't get one. Can you say uh oh? If the Psimorph is the most dangerous unit in the game because it can turn your units, this would be the next most dangerous unit. The Psimorph and Megaspawn are pretty much equal in terms of threat level. A difference, though: The Megaspawn has weapons. Big weapons. I'm talking Dimension Missile and Devastator Cannon weapons, with a good 2 tons of armor to back that up. This thing is a TANK! If you are going to take one down, I suggest you send in at LEAST 6 units to fight this thing. They only show up in the Alien structures, the Alien Battleship, the Alien Mothership, and the Alien Escort ship, though in the Escort ship the thing stuck in a room, thank God, so it's rather easy to corner them. Here's what you do on the maps.

1) They cannot go up ANY slope. Doesn't matter the grade. They cannot go up slopes. This is advantageous, duh. You can rain down fire from above while they can't hit you. Until they fire their missiles... Yeah, you are going to need to grab a personal shield generator or 5. Make that a PRIORITY. Otherwise you'll be losing a LOT of troops.

2) For the Battleship level, stick your troops outside the two corridor entrances to the Battleship. Let the Skeletoids and Anthropods and other random troops filter into the sunlight where your troops will all be ready for the ambush. When all of these wimps are taken out, move your troops inside the corridors. There should be a staircase at the end of the hall. If you see one of the THREE Megaspawns, move all your guys back. Then take one trooper, send him around the corner. Have him get off two shots, and then hide again. This "hide-n-seek" strategy works great at eliminating the buggers. If any Megaspawns are still inside the ship, have ONE soldier go inside and up to the second level. There should be two one-block grav-lifts at the end of the north-western hallway. Take the northern one. Once your troop is all the way up, they should see the remaining Megaspawn(s). Take them out up here. If they open fire, just go down the grav lift again. Fairly simple.

3) For the Mothership level, put your men on the slopes surrounding the crash site. These hills provide a clear line of sight into the doorway of the ship. If your troops concentrate their fire on the Megaspawn as it leaves the ship, then it should fall easily under the combined fire before it can get off a shot. Thankfully, there are only two on this level.

To Capture: Your insane. Simple. I have been trying to capture these monstrosities for ages, and have had a dickens of a time. So, here's what I did. I downed an Alien Escort ship, took out the entire compliment MINUS the Megaspawn, as it can't get out of that tiny room, or it doesn't want to. Once you have it in that room, and, of course, KNOW which room it's in, grab as many guys with as many stun grenades as you have. Have your men chain throw them into the room, so that the moment one dissipates, the next flies in and explodes, lather, rinse, repeat. Once you have thrown about 12-24 grenades (on average 2-4 per soldier) in the room, the Megaspawn will be sufficiently weakened that you can move a soldier with a stun gun and a devastator or sniper rifle or whatever into the room. One shot to hit the Megaspawn, and the stun grapple should finish him off. Stupid tanks have a slow reaction time, thankfully, so your trooper should have plenty of time to kneel, aim, and fire both weapons, and MAYBE get out of there before the Megaspawn gets off one shot. If it doesn't go down from that... Well, go back to chucking stun grenades in, and then try to get him again. The fella has GOT to go down sometime...

See Also

• Aliens
• Alien Life Forms