Line #41 Characters/XComUFODefense


1	!X-COM
2	An organisation funded by multiple nations, X-COM stands for Extraterrestrial Combat Unit.
3	----
4	* ATeamFiring: Rookies in particular are prone to firing off shots that hit anything but their intended target. Even with a highly trained and experienced Commander, there are no guarantees of landing a hit.
5	* DestructiveSavior: Potentially during terror missions. X-COM can swoop in and save the day, but stray shots can leave buildings with holes, dead civilians, and destroyed fuel pumps, leaving the surrounding area in ruins.
6	* MultinationalTeam: While not as overt as with the rebooted games, the sheer variety of names that soldiers are randomly generated with, ranging from various different cultures, implies that X-COM draws its recruits from around the world.
7	* RedshirtArmy: X-COM has a notorious high fatality rate, since the game's mechanics allow for them to be taken out in a single shot if unlucky.
8
9	!Aliens
10	The main enemy faction, out for control of the Earth and the extermination of the human race.
11	----
12	* AliensAreBastards: They started an unprovoked war against humanity [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence seemingly for just existing]], [[AlienAbduction abduct]], [[ColdBloodedTorture experiment on]] and even [[ToServeMan eat human civilians]], destroy cities, attack animals ... and they do all this seemingly ForTheEvulz.
13	* TheAestheticsOfTechnology: Their technology is sleek, shiny and spotless.
14	* AlienAbduction: Some of them, namely the Floaters and Sectoids, practice this. They even have a specialised UFO called the "Abductor".
15	* AliensStealCattle: They do this on occasion. It's NOT PlayedForLaughs like you would expect, though.
16	* DecapitatedArmy: [[spoiler:The death of their leader, the Alien Brain, causes the entire command structure of the alien forces to dissolve and immediately ends the invasion.]]
17	* FantasticDrug: Sort of. Some [=UFOs=] have weird rooms with walls that look like they're covered by shifting blue or orange clouds and have strange silver orbs with red cores. These rooms are revealed to be a form of alien entertainment that stimulate certain sensory regions of the brain. They are described as being similar to hallucinogenic drugs.
18	* FlyingSaucer: Their main method of transportation.
19	* InsufficientlyAdvancedAlien: They may be much more advanced than humanity in terms of technology, but their advanced ships are very easy for human technology to bring down, their tech can be easily reverse engineered by a bunch of idiots in an underground burrow, and they don't seem to have any knowledge of shielding tech and can be easily blasted away by human firepower.
20	* KillAllHumans: Their main mission.
21
22	[[folder:Sectoids]]
23	Typically the very first type of alien seen by the player, little humanoid creatures modelled after the standard Grey. They're good shots and some have PsychicPowers, but they're quite easy to bring down with one or two direct hits from a pistol or rifle.
24	----
25	* AlienBlood: They bleed green.
26	* BlackEyesOfEvil: Part of their TheGreys image.
27	* CloneArmy: The Sectoids are theorised to be all clones of the same DNA, meaning that you're fighting copies of the same Sectoid over and over.
28	* TheGoomba: Usually the first type of alien encountered (unless you come across Floaters first), have low health and stamina but decent accuracy, and are only really dangerous in groups ... unless they have PsychicPowers. Then they become a NIGHTMARE.
29	* TheGreys: They tick all the boxes - small, grey, slim, large round black eyes, and tend to abduct and mutilate cattle.
30	* MascotMook: One of the first and easiest aliens you encounter, but a Sectoid's face is visible on the cover of the game and they have since become the series mascot.
31	* MindRape: Sectoid Leaders and Commanders can perform this, causing soldiers to [[HeroicBSOD panic]], [[FreakOut go berserk]], or [[BrainwashedAndCrazy fall under alien control]].
32	* PsychicPowers: High-ranking Sectoids are capable of this, causing troops to panic and even fall under MindControl. Just one Sectoid Leader will completely throw your squad off balance if there are any weak links in your team's psychic resistance chain, although capturing one alive may be worth it, as it lets you develop some PsychicPowers of your own.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Cyberdiscs]]
36	The assigned Terror Unit of the Sectoids. Essentially a miniature FlyingSaucer that serves as their version of your tanks, with a plasma cannon weapon and an explosive self-destruct when "killed".
37	----
38	* AchillesHeel: Stun weapons - rather than being shut down and taken alive, they'll automatically explode if shot by a stun bomb.
39	* ActionBomb: [[DefeatEqualsExplosion When defeated, they explode]] with enough force to kill anything in the blast radius.
40	* FlyingSaucer: A MiniMook version of this.
41	* LightningBruiser: Cyberdiscs are heavily armed, fairly durable and can fly quite far.
42	* MechanicalMonster: It and the Sectopod are the only true robotic enemies in the game.
43	%%* MechaMooks
44	* SinisterGeometry: It's basically a reflective chrome disc. That flies. And shoots plasma.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Floaters]]
48	Only just above Sectoids in terms of threat level, Floaters are pink humanoids with red capes who have a mechanical sphere in place of legs. It lets them fly.
49	----
50	* AlienBlood: PURPLE blood.
51	* BewareTheSillyOnes: They make look quite silly, with their pink bodies and capes, but they're still capable of dropping any of your men with a single lucky shot.
52	* BodyHorror: Their cybernetic enhancements are visible in the form of a giant gaping hole in their chests, not to mention their anti-grav ball-feet, which are very clearly unnatural.
53	* {{Cyborg}}: The AlienAutopsy performed on a Floater's body shows that the sphere on their bodies is in fact connected to a life support system that takes over the functions of the heart, lungs and digestive system. Capturing a live one will let you see that this system is visible from the outside of their bodies.
54	* {{Flight}}: Via anti-gravity circuits in their {{Cyborg}} bodies.
55	* TheGoomba: They have a little more health than the Sectoids, but are still quite easy to take out. Their weapons aren't even as powerful as a Sectoid's - they're just able to do more damage in groups by flying around and having snipers pick off your soldiers.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Reapers]]
59	The assigned Terror Unit of the Floaters. They basically look like large, furry, weird-looking animal-like creatures with powerful jaws.
60	----
61	* AchillesHeel: Explosive weapons - their furry hides are very flammable, after all.
62	* AlienBlood: Like Sectoids, they bleed green.
63	%%* ArmlessBiped
64	* CartoonCreature: Albeit a very ugly and evil-looking one.
65	* FakeUltimateMook: They're large and intimidating, but they can only attack in melee and can't fit through most of the doors on the level. [[StoneWall They have a lot of health and can tank half a clip of rifle shots]], but their size makes them a relatively easy target for your troops. They're also very vulnerable to explosive damage. [[NintendoHard X-COM being X-COM though]], Reapers are still relatively dangerous for an example of this trope, particularly in the early game - its melee attack is a pretty much guaranteed OneHitKill before you research actual armour, and unlike the alien ranged weapons, [[AlwaysAccurateAttack there isn't a possibility of it missing]].
66	%%* FangsAreEvil
67	* GiantMook: A Reaper is roughly the size of a Tank, and is just as dangerous.
68	* NonMaliciousMonster: Unlike the Crysallid or the robotic enemies, it's just a animal acting on its predatory instincts.
69	%%* RedEyesTakeWarning
70	* SpareBodyParts: The AlienAutopsy done on a Reaper corpse shows them to have two brains and two hearts.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Snakemen]]
74	A more advanced foot soldier, resembling a semi-humanoid snake with a large tail-like foot in place of legs. More dangerous than the Sectoid or Floater, but still manageable, unlike their pets...
75	----
76	* AlienBlood: Yet another alien with green blood.
77	* BizarreAlienBiology: They appear to have a naga-like tail, but in actuality it's a "foot". That also contains all their vital organs.
78	* DumbMuscle: As noted when "interrogating" one, they're animalistic and predatory, obviously operating under orders from a higher intelligence.
79	%%* ReptilesAreAbhorrent
80	* SlasherSmile: Constantly. Then again, they don't have lips.
81	* TrulySingleParent: Snakemen reproduce asexually, with each one carrying fifty or so little green eggs in their body at all times. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Despite your scientists warning that they could use this to populate the Earth, they never actually lay these eggs in battle, probably because they're too busy blasting your soldiers.]]
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Chryssalids]]
85	THE worst type of alien to be up against. Looking something like a silver humanoid lobster, these clawed horrors are the assigned terror unit of the Snakemen and can OneHitKill a civilian or unarmoured soldier, turning them into a zombie which upon death bursts open into a new Chryssalid. They're also fast, and can sneak up from the shadows with ease. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Have fun!]]
86	----
87	* AchillesHeel: Flying units - they cannot hit them if they're two levels above them. Once you manage to procure some Flying Armour, you can just hover two levels above them and [[CatharsisFactor use them for target practise]].
88	* AlienBlood: Green. [[RunningGag Again.]]
89	* BodyHorror: They induce this upon anyone they can get their claws on.
90	* ChestBurster: Any Zombie that's shot dead will burst open into a new Chryssalid. With full time units. [[OhCrap And a clear view of you]].
91	* DarkIsEvil: They have dark grey skin, hide in the shadows, and are arguably the most dangerous enemy in the game.
92	* HumanoidAbomination
93	* ItCanThink: Unlike the Reaper, Chryssalids are clearly intelligent and taking sadistic joy in hunting down and zombifying your soldiers.
94	* PowerPincers: Used to hold their victims for zombification or slash through armour.
95	* ShoutOut: The Chryssalids are based around the mutant that appears on the old Penguin cover art for [[Literature/TheChrysalids John Wyndham's similarly named novel]] ([[CoversAlwaysLie though not in the novel itself]]).
96	* SlasherSmile: Perpetually, and [[DemonicSpiders understandable why]].
97	* WeaksauceWeakness: They're a complete terror, especially in the earliest parts of the game, with 120+ action points and the ability to shred your soldiers in one or two attacks and use the corpses to spawn more Chryssalids... and then you get Flying Armor. Suddenly, these dreaded creatures and their claws are reduced to targets, as your troops can hover outside their range and pelt them with plasma.
98	* XenomorphXerox: Downplayed, but they still have something of a Xenomorph-like appearance, with shiny metallic skin, sharp claws, and animalistic sadism.
99	* ZombieApocalypse: If they're not taken out fast enough, they'll start one of these.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Muton]]
103	The most powerful of the alien races, resembling purple-skinned human-like beings with light green bodysuits. They're [[DumbMuscle immensely strong and tough, but not very bright, and will tend to forget about your soldiers after a few turns]].
104	----
105	* AlienBlood: They bleed orange.
106	* {{Cyborg}}: Like many of the other races, they have cybernetic implants
107	* DumbMuscle: They may be dumb, but ''boy'' are they tough.
108	* HeavilyArmoredMook: They can typically survive two Heavy Plasma shots at point-blank range.
109	* HeroicBuild: Inverted - they have traditional extremely muscular G.I. Joe-size bodies common of a action hero, but they are villainous.
110	* HumanAliens: They look very human - the main differences are their purple skin, lack of noses, and huge builds.
111	* InformedAttribute: The examination of a live specimen claims that they are intelligent, but then contradicts itself by talking about how they need telepathic commands to survive.
112	* MasterOfAll: With the exception of PsychicPowers, which they lack, they're strong, tough, fast, use powerful weapons, can kill any soldier in one melee hit, and have some resistance to psionic attacks.
113	* PurpleIsPowerful: They have purple skin.
114	* WallpaperCamouflage: Their green suits allow them to blend in with vegetation, [[https://www.ufopaedia.org/images/0/0f/Mutblending.png especially in jungle environments]].
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Celatid]]
118	The assigned terror unit of the Mutons, a bizarre creature that looks somewhat like a giant flying kidney that can spit a [[AcidAttack acidic substance]] that is the most powerful non-explosive weapon in the game.
119	----
120	%%* AcidAttack
121	* AlienBlood: They bleed blue.
122	* BeastOfBattle: The AlienAutopsy done on the Celatid shows that it ''doesn't even have a brain''.
123	* ExplosiveBreeder: The scientific analysis determines that they can clone themselves at a rapid rate. [[InformedAttribute This doesn't appear in-game, mainly because of how overpowered it would be.]]
124	* {{Flight}}: Like the Floaters.
125	* PsychicPowers: They appear to have some kind of ability to detect human brainwaves, which allows them to hone in on their targets.
126	* StarfishAliens: Basically giant flying kidneys hovering above some kind of grotesque pod (at least in the image shown when analysing a live specimen) that can spit corrosive venom and detect human brainwaves.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Silacoid]]
130	These weird purple rock-like creatures are essentially like pets to the Mutons. While they're the least dangerous alien lifeform, they can generate enough heat to melt rocks, and can use this on your soldiers.
131	----
132	* BlobMonster: Purple blobs with brown rock formations along their bodies.
133	* GoldfishPoopGang: Easy to outrun, only have a melee attack, and basically serve as target practise. [[SubvertedTrope Unless they get in close enough.]]
134	* MightyGlacier: They're very tough and immune to fire, but can't move very fast.
135	* NonMaliciousMonster: They are primitive creatures forced to work for the aliens via control implants.
136	* SiliconBasedLife: As their name implies.
137	* ShoutOut: Their appearance and physiology appear to be inspired by the Horta from ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Ethereals]]
141	The apparent masterminds of the invasion, resembling mysterious, faceless cloaked mages with vast PsychicPowers and plasma [[HandCannon Hand Cannons]]. They only appear later in the game, and often only for the most important missions, such as building bases or retaliating against X-COM.
142	----
143	* AlienBlood: They bleed ''silver'', although it appears as [[InvertedTrope red]] during the AlienAutopsy screen.
144	* BlackCloak: Well, saffron cloak. But just as intimidating.
145	* BodyHorror: [[https://www.ufopaedia.org/images/e/e1/Etherealautopsy.png Without their cloaks]], we get to see that their bodies are essentially just ''withering away'' - they're described as being "physically retarded", their muscles are severely atrophied and seem unusable, their organs, including their eyes, don't seem to function at all, and your scientists are at a loss as to how they're even alive at all.
146	* CoDragons: The entire Ethereal race serve as this [[spoiler:to the [[BigBad Alien Brain]].]]
147	* MindRape: Their speciality, although they also carry around a handgun.
148	* PsychicPowers: ''FAR'' more so than the Sectoids, being able to easily cause anyone who doesn't have sufficient protection to panic or fall under their control.
149	* PowerFloats: Unlike the Floaters or Celatids, they seem to be capable of flying under their own power.
150	* SquishyWizard: Their bodies have atrophied so much that their self-sustaining functions have to be governed by their immense PsychicPowers. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Which does not prevent them from having the best armour values and second best hit point totals among the non-terror unit aliens.]] [[FridgeBrilliance Their huge cloaks present a considerably larger profile than their actual bodies... hitting the cloak is not necessarily hitting the Ethereal.]] [[OrganDodge Plus, there isn't much to damage in their actual bodies.]] However, [[AttackItsWeakPoint their brains still need an ample supply of blood, and if they lose too much blood because of serious injuries, they die.]]
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Sectopods]]
154	The assigned terror unit of the Ethereals, a gigantic chicken-legged MiniMecha that is a absolute terror to deal with. They possess laser weaponry and can be remote-controlled by a Ethereal.
155	----
156	* AchillesHeel: They may be resistant to plasma weaponry, but they actually take nearly double damage from the weaker laser weaponry. If you're prediciting that you may be encountering one on a mission, it might be a good idea to dust off your old Heavy Lasers unless you've got some [[InfinityPlusOneSword Blaster Launchers]].
157	* BossInMookClothing: A tank-sized robot that is virtually immune to conventional fire, resistant to plasma, and has a extremely dangerous laser weapon. And they're the Ethereal's terror units.
158	* ChickenWalker: Don't make fun of it if you value your life.
159	* EvilCounterpart: To your Tanks.
160	* GiantMook: About the size of your Tanks, and possibly even more dangerous.
161	* MotionCaptureMecha: Every Sectopod is built not only for self-sufficient commands and operation, but also for psionic manipulation -- an Ethereal can control a Sectopod as if it were it's own body from miles away.
162	* SlowLaser: Both their weapon and vulnerability, even though it's said by the [=UFOpedia=] to be a ''plasma'' weapon. We can assume that it's really just a different type of laser that's green, leading to your scientists mistaking it for plasma.
163	* WalkingTank: A massive tank-like machine on two legs, as well as the most dangerous non-psionic unit the aliens have to offer.
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder:The Alien Leader ('''Unmarked Spoilers!''')]]
167	!The Alien Brain
168	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x_com_alienbrain.png]]
169	%%[[caption-width-right:300:some caption text]]
170	The true leader of the alien forces, a gigantic brain-like OrganicTechnology piece who controls the entire invasion.
171	----
172	* AbusivePrecursors: During its attempt to reason with you, it claims that the aliens created humanity.
173	* BigBad: It controls the alien forces. Its death results in humanity's victory against the alien threat.
174	* BigNo: A rare written example. The alien brain tries to talk you out of killing it via a computer screen at its base. The screen displays an enormous-font "NO" just as the brain is incinerated.
175	* BrainMonster: A brain big enough to take up four spaces.
176	* DirtyCoward: When you engage it, it attempts to talk you out of shooting it by claiming [[AbusivePrecursors that the aliens created humanity]] and that WeCanRuleTogether. [[ShutUpHannibal Your troops hear it out, then shoot it]].
177	* FinalBoss: {{ZigZagged\|Trope}}. It is technically the final enemy you have to kill to win the game, but it has no means of defending itself beyond the aliens guarding it.
178	* TheManBehindTheMan: To the Ethereals, who are in turn this to the other races. This effectively makes it the Man Behind the Man Behind the Man.
179	* NonActionBigBad: It is no doubt a devious strategist, considering [[NintendoHard how difficult trying to stop the alien invasion is]], but the Alien Brain has absolutely no methods of defending itself from your soldiers should you manage to reach it.
180	* WalkingSpoiler: In case you couldn't already tell.
181	* WeCanRuleTogether: Offers this to your soldiers, [[ShutUpHannibal who have none of it]].
182	* ZeroEffortBoss: Despite the sheer size of the brain, it doesn't have any psychic powers or weapons, and once all its guards are killed, it's defenceless. [[InstantWinCondition You don't even have to fight its guards. Just shoot one of the four tiles it takes up with a Heavy Plasma, and you win]].

Context Characters / XComUFODefense