Brainsucker (Apocalypse)

The life span of a Brainsucker is very short, eight hours at most. It has no reproduction or feeding system. Instead it attacks human victims by grasping the head with its claws and inserting its proboscis into the victims throat. The Brainsucker dies immediately after a successful attack, but our tests reveal that the victim is subsequently transformed into an Alien controlled entity. We will not understand the mechanism which causes this until we have completed studies on the full Alien life cycle.  From: Apocalypse Ufopaedia

Brainsucker

Grown-In Weapon = special Health = 20 Speed / Time Units = 90 Accuracy = 100 Reactions = 5 Stamina = 70 Strength = 10 Bravery = 10 Armour¹: 5/5/5/5/5/5 Psi Energy = 0 Psi Attack = 0 Psi Defense = 100 Size = small Inventory = no Movement = ground Infiltration Influence = weak Score = 4

¹ armour values : Head/Body/Left Arm/Right Arm/Legs/Under (approximately)
Brainsucker picture, top to bottom: Alive, Unconscious, Dead.

This life form appears to have a simple structure with no distinguishable organs apart from an efficient heart and cardiovascular system. There appears to be no means of ingesting food or separate brain structure rendering it immune from Psionic influence. It seems that this creature has little purpose in life except that it is known to attack humans and seems to be designed to do only that. Its complex organic structure may be useful for developing toxins to counter any threat to our race.  From: Apocalypse Ufopaedia

A quick, small orange ball with protruding legs.

A Brainsucker is what hatches from a Brainsucker Pod.
Brainsuckers are not present aboard Fast Attack Ship, Bomber, Escort, Battleship or Mothership UFOs when dropped into a building for infestation.
If a UFO has crashed, a Fast Attack Ship will have two loose Brainsuckers.
An alien infestation spreading across the city from the initially infested building will have loose brainsuckers only early on since their lifespan is very short. Brainsucker Pods will provide more brainsuckers when needed when fired from a Brainsucker Launcher during a battlescape mission.
Brainsuckers which are on-the-loose do not appear in any building within the alien dimension.
Combat

Unit

A Brainsucker is immune to psionics.

A Brainsucker is an extreme threat since it relies on surprise and can jump upwards to four levels high when trying to grab the head of a victim to attempt a brainsuck. Pods break open when detecting a suitable victim nearby. Many 'hatching' at once can overwhelm a small X-Com squad.

Brainsuck
Action

Brainsuckers do not have offensive weaponry of any kind but have a special ability of being able to permanently make human or hybrid X-Com agents 'change sides' and fight for the aliens, against X-Com. A successful conversion, or not, is fatal to the Brainsucker. Androids are not targeted by brainsuckers.

Brainsuckers are mildly resistant to stun gas and stun grapples.
Brainsucker research is a critical step for understanding alien infiltration.

Next: Spitter
Previous: Anthropod
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See Also

• Anti-Alien Combat Tactics
• Unit Attributes
• Research
• Grown-In Weapons