Boilers are a xeno evolution of a type of giant spitting frog native to LV-624. They are heavily focused on acids and toxins of various kinds, much more so than normal xenos. Contained in glands throughout their bodies are intensely strong corrosive liquids, and much of their internal structure is built around manipulating these acids in various ways.
Boilers have only four main abilities:
* Corrosive acid. This is as per usual, such as other castes have, to melt through various things. Praetorians lost the ability to melt through reinforced walls, but Boilers have acquired it. Boilers have much better acid than any other caste and can melt things much faster, but at a higher plasma cost.
* Acid spray. This allows them to launch a flamethrower-like "beam" of corrosive acids at a nearby target, hosing down the intervening terrain with piles of goop. Like flamethrowers, if you directly hit someone with it it does considerable burn damage, and standing anyone in the acid takes smaller damage. Wearing shoes will protect you from it quite a bit. Victims in the acid who are lying down in it take overall damage, while those standing in it take damage to their feet regardless of shoes. Walking through it also has a chance of making you fall over. If someone falls in the acid, drag them out! Spray has a medium-high cooldown and average cost, making it their primary ability to use at close quarters. It can be avoided easier than a flamethrower because the spray takes longer to reach its full range when sprayed.
This is linked to middle and shift mouse clicks.
* Gas bombardment. Boilers can build up a pressurized glob of acid that explodes on impact, spraying an area with thick, noxious gasses that linger for a short duration. Originally it was not able to be fired indoors or when standing indoors, but it was decided that it made it nearly useless. So it now CAN be fired indoors, but the splatter will hit dense objects, barricades, tables, or what-have-you that's in the way, and the gas will strike there. It is functionally just like a grenade launcher, though marine grenades can go over tables and barricades and these cannot. It has a very high cooldown and an extremely high plasma cost. In addition, firing it requires the Boiler to hunker down and dig into the ground, and then select an area to fire at, both of which means they have to stay still for extended periods and have line of sight to the target area.
There are certain things marines can do to help protect themselves from the gas. Find out for yourselves!
* Long range sight. Another adapation from their spitting frog evolution, Boilers are capable of seeing very long distances. This allows them to "zoom out" and see things much further away than usual, but moving or clicking things breaks the extended sight. There's also a short delay in between zooming in and out, requiring them to stand still; it also costs plasma. Gas bombardment can be used with this, and it's also very handy for scouting out ahead of a group of xenos.
Boilers are intended as a long-range harassment xenomorph. They are capable of strongly supporting a team, but are extremely weak on their own. They have very low health for a Tier 3, no armor to speak of, and very very slow movement speed. One slight bonus though is that they actually move faster in the river, rather than slower like every other creature, a testament to their amphibious origins. An unfortunate downside to them is that Boilers glow slightly in the dark, making them easy prey for marines with binoculars or long range scopes, which actually out-range their own binocular vision.
Due to Boilers requiring a good setup and positioning, they are heavily dependent on team coordination. They can be very easily outflanked and wiped out; even a single marine can take one down with generally no problem if they have no backup. The acid spray can still make a Boiler extremely dangerous at closer range however, allowing them to cut off an avenue of retreat for a short time. Multiple Boilers can hose down a pretty big area, but still require other xenos around to distract any marines from shooting at them for long enough for them to get away.
So, in short: Xenos-- protect your Boilers, take advantages of the openings and chaos they can create. Don't let marines chase them down.
Marines-- Don't just sit back and let them spam at you all day long. Boilers die extremely quickly. Chase them down and mess them up!
Ptuu
I look forward to seeing it in action!
