Hey Marines!
A new major update is live and your commandos’ nightmare has just begun! New aliens are joining the horde and are going to make them wish they never stepped foot on this cursed planet M8322.
This major update to celebrate Halloween comes with a new weapon, the flamethrower, and new enemies: Reaper Mother, her Leech eggs and hatchling Leeches, Organ Shepherd and Greater Shadow Envoy. This new content will be added permanently to the game.
New aliens
- Organ Shepherd: This gruesome fleshy monster is the aliens' attempt to mimic humanoid physiology. Agile and capable of paralyzing and bleeding attacks, this creature's tactics vary depending on the situation. It may target a single victim when in melee range or strike a group of targets within the proximity of two grids. In addition to its deadly melee capabilities, it wields a spit attack similar to the Alpha Wormpig's, afflicting paralysis and bleeding effects. The Organ Shepherd stands as a tough adversary, being completely impervious to tranquilization, forcing you to adapt and find alternative ways to deal with it.
- Reaper Mother: This entity surpasses its Reaper kin. Its size and its strength set it apart along with its ability to lay Leech eggs once per turn. This ability forces you to redirect your focus on it if you do not want to be overwhelmed, adding a new layer of complexity to the fight.
- Leech egg: They do not appear on the battlefield by default. They are laid only once per turn, when a Reaper Mother engages the player. Provoking a Leech egg requires inflicting damage on it, as proximity alone won't trigger its emergence. You must proceed carefully, as these eggs will inevitably hatch on the third turn after being laid, unleashing high HP Leeches, but with little to no armor.
- Leech: These feisty creatures are not on the map, but appear from eggs. They exhibit traits similar to Skitters, but distinguish themselves with exceptionally high life-stealing capabilities. Their attacks deliver a double whammy of paralysis (tranquilization) and extra bleeding, making them dangerous foes that demand precision and resourcefulness to defeat. This new breed of enemy intensifies the encounter with their Reaper Mother.
- Greater Shadow Envoy: This terrifying foe meets all the criteria of an apex predator. It outshines all previous enemies you have met so far in terms of power. Its area-of-effect melee attack is so potent that it can ignite Shadow fires on the grids it impacts, further complicating your survival plan and escape. With high fire resistance, this menace will make you despair and hope for a quick death.
New weapon and hydrazine mechanics
- The challenges posed by these new threats call for new ways to exploit the battleground. Hydrazine is also available in squad management and found during missions. It can now be spilled on adjacent grids that do not have ground effects like radiation pools or fire. Even on an enemy grid if the situation permits! Spilling Hydrazine consumes both 1 ammo stack and 8 Action Points (the cost scales with Field Expertise skills). Spilled Hydrazine pool causes explosions if lit on fire. It deals damage ranging from 50 to 100, with an additional 200 fire damage and Armor Penetration of 20. This explosion also has a 50% chance of affecting adjacent targets, creating opportunities for you to turn the tide in their favor.
- To combat these new threats, you can now wield the infamous flamethrower! This heavy weapon utilizes Hydrazine as ammunition. This weapon offers two powerful attack modes. The first, "Line Ignite", enables you to unleash flames in a line spanning five grids, making it a critical choice when dealing with multiple targets. However, it's essential to note that this attack mode doesn't work in areas with no atmosphere (in the case of hull breaches). The second attack mode, "Disperse", allows you to spray Hydrazine on the ground, creating a 3x3 area of upcoming fiery chaos. Due to the inherent nature of these attacks, neither can be utilized in Defense Mode, you must use this weapon carefully.
Read the full patch notes here.
Equip your flamethrower and study these new foes. Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming content during Early Access!
The USC: Counterforce team 🎃
