Xeno Strategy Discussion

[Toroic]

I want to start a discussion with the xeno community about strategy, and eventually turn what we say into a guide.

Starting xenos: before anyone evolves, a queen should be selected and evolve to drone. This prevents queenless hives. Jelly is generally a top priority, with all xenos donating plasma until they get jelly and then go gather monkies.

Ideal hive composition:

(Obviously, this is highly dependent on what people are competent with, but this represents an ideal in my opinion)

11 xeno hive:

1 queen

1 boiler
1 crusher

4 spitters
2 runners
2 drones

21 xeno hive:

1 Queen

1 boiler
1 crusher
1 ravager
1 praetorian

4 spitters
1 hivelord
1 carrier
2 hunters

3 runners
3 sentinels
2 drones


Some xeno fundamental aspects:

1) The hive gets stronger over time, the difference between a young and ancient runner is massive.

2) It requires more effort to infect than to kill

3) The more hosts the hive is guarding the less xenos are available to attack or defend

4) A hive in an area vulnerable to orbital barrage risks destruction of the hive and destruction of any larva, hosts, eggs, and xenos inside


What this means strategically is that xenos want to use overwhelming force (to capture) early unless they are forced to defend. As they get stronger they can capture larger and larger groups of xenos. If they're forced to defend, especially against larger forces, it may be better to kill instead of infect.

Since even runners become powerful after upgrading, the constant deaths of young runners represents an enormous waste of hive resources, and they should probably be instructed to remain in the hive until reaching mature.

Small skirmishes with a few xenos against larger groups of marines are likely to lead to xeno deaths or at the very least an inability to capture. Larger assaults with the purpose of mass capture or if the larva supply is sufficient, mass killing, is more efficient.

Skilled runners and hunters can pick off rambo marines and scout for weak points, but even a small squad assuming skill is equal will kill.

What do other xeno players have to add/contest?

Fall back if a major marine squad is attacking the hive and lure them into an ambush.

From either behind the assault or from the sides.

This is an excellent strategy, and also ties into a common mistake: fighting in open spaces outside of the hive. If marines are attacking, fight in areas most advantageous to xenos, even if that means giving ground. Long 2 tile width tunnels allow boilers and crushers to counter attack efficiently.

[Sargeantmuffinman]

Fall back if a major marine squad is attacking the hive and lure them into an ambush.

From either behind the assault or from the sides.

I'm not even sure this should even be in here, but hey, it's a tactic.

[Toroic]

Added to the initial post, Muffin.

[outordinary]

I won't contest, I agree with what is posted, but I will add my two cents to it.

Some xeno fundamental aspects:

1) The hive gets stronger over time, the difference between a young and ancient runner is massive.

Since even runners become powerful after upgrading, the constant deaths of young runners represents an enormous waste of hive resources, and they should probably be instructed to remain in the hive until reaching mature.

Don't sleep on this, this is the main reason for failure whenever I come back from work and see a losing round. Dying at young stage is sickening and the definition of useless because it isn't hard to stay alive. It's a matter of knowing how much you can bite off.

Knowing the area you are about to take a strike sortie out to is beneficial too. Have someone check out the area and right click around for mines, make sure the flank is covered and in the case of the ice map, leave people behind to watch ladders and elevators. I'll get more into things later.

[Ithalan]

When fighting in enclosed spaces or at chokepoints against groups of marines, try to always keep the routes of retreat clear for any xenos ahead of you and don't be afraid to leave the fight if it gets overcrowded. I'd say a good rule of thumb for the number of xenos that can effectively fight at once in such a space is the width of it at the narrowest point in tiles + 1. A 3-tile wide corridor or a 3-tile wide hole (or 3 1-tile holes close together) in a wall would effectively allow about 4 xenos to do hit and runs for example (this includes sentinel caste xenos other than the boiler. Their range isn't quite good enough for them to fight and still be out of the way of melee xenos retreating after a strike).

So if there's a number of xenos in excess of that and you're just a young runner or drone, consider just hanging out back behind the boilers until the final push starts, or go look for a fight elsewhere. Overcrowding is at best a waste of xenopower that could be put to use elsewhere, and at worste detrimental to winning. Xenos dying because their route to cover was blocked is the xeno version of marine friendly-fire.

[Toroic]

When fighting in enclosed spaces or at chokepoints against groups of marines, try to always keep the routes of retreat clear for any xenos ahead of you and don't be afraid to leave the fight if it gets overcrowded. I'd say a good rule of thumb for the number of xenos that can effectively fight at once in such a space is the width of it at the narrowest point in tiles + 1. A 3-tile wide corridor or a 3-tile wide hole (or 3 1-tile holes close together) in a wall would effectively allow about 4 xenos to do hit and runs for example (this includes sentinel caste xenos other than the boiler. Their range isn't quite good enough for them to fight and still be out of the way of melee xenos retreating after a strike).

So if there's a number of xenos in excess of that and you're just a young runner or drone, consider just hanging out back behind the boilers until the final push starts, or go look for a fight elsewhere. Overcrowding is at best a waste of xenopower that could be put to use elsewhere, and at worste detrimental to winning. Xenos dying because their route to cover was blocked is the xeno version of marine friendly-fire.

This is an excellent point, and one I have to deal with as a crusher all the time. Either they're not getting out of the way of my charges, or blocking me so I cannot moonwalk to safety.

I'll add some quotes to the initial post tonight.

[zskninoh]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, as I don't play Xeno as often as I shpould. I've begun to notice that Xeno's really excel in the fact that they can recover quickly. Many times have I seen just a handful of Xeno's turn the tide around by playing it safe and recuperating back to greater numbers.

[Renomaki]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, as I don't play Xeno as often as I shpould. I've begun to notice that Xeno's really excel in the fact that they can recover quickly. Many times have I seen just a handful of Xeno's turn the tide around by playing it safe and recuperating back to greater numbers.

It is the one thing that makes them deadly.

Xenos are very strong as is, not having to worry about breaking bones and organs, passive healing on weeds, and as they get older, they become tanks that take a beating and keep on stumbling forward.

I experienced it many times, where it seemed xenos were fucked, only to somehow turn the tables and wreck the marines. I think a large factor as to why this happens is a combination of marines getting cocky and scared. The cocky part being them rushing in for kills only to get hugged, and the scared part being them running away after seeing so many marines die or get hugged. If you scare the marines away, the aliens will continue to fight for another day.

The best way to beat xenos is pressure and flanking. Hitting them from more than one angle can help spread out their hive and make it harder to push marines back, and if the marines keep the pressure on, sooner or later the xeno fighting spirit will crack, and they'll crumble under the might of the marines many bullets.

The sad thing about this is that it is hard to get such an attack set up proper when you have marines that have itchy trigger fingers and little patience, more often than not running too eagerly into battle to get some kills in.. Which is just what xenos want deep down. Oh, how I yearn for a game as commander when everything goes according to plan.. *sigh, eh*

[outordinary]

Also I'm gonna go ahead and copyright this, once asked of me ingame, "chad whats the best place for larva to be at?" "well looking around, THE ARMORY". There is no real way to open it other than blowing it open and it is out of the way to the point where marines finding the larva is pretty much just metagaming that we will now use it for larva storage. Which after this post I can't wait to see marines suddenly going to blow open the armory.

[Reuben Owen]

Runners should be sneaky and always be hiding under things waiting for lone marines to pass by and pouncerape them.
Good things to hide under are tables, fuel tanks, resin nests, open lockers.

Can I just say something about how people who die as runners aren't usually really that bad? Its not like they're horrible at playing Xeno. Mostly they just attempt what other castes do (like hunters), with less health, less damage, and less tacklestun, meaning inherently more risk. Its just really easy to mess up as a runner (hell, its easy to mess up as a ravager and kick the bucket), but that doesn't mean that running into a pile of marines was a bad move, or waiting around the corner for them. Just a riskier one compared to other castes which do the same exact things. Plus the fact that they die to mines on a regular basis isn't their fault, and doesn't make them dumb. All castes make the mistake of going over mines, its just that they're the only ones who can't tank it and its not right for the little red menace to be singled out.

[Toroic]

Runners should be sneaky and always be hiding under things waiting for lone marines to pass by and pouncerape them.
Good things to hide under are tables, fuel tanks, resin nests, open lockers.

Can I just say something about how people who die as runners aren't usually really that bad? Its not like they're horrible at playing Xeno. Mostly they just attempt what other castes do (like hunters), with less health, less damage, and less tacklestun, meaning inherently more risk. Its just really easy to mess up as a runner (hell, its easy to mess up as a ravager and kick the bucket), but that doesn't mean that running into a pile of marines was a bad move, or waiting around the corner for them. Just a riskier one compared to other castes which do the same exact things. Plus the fact that they die to mines on a regular basis isn't their fault, and doesn't make them dumb. All castes make the mistake of going over mines, its just that they're the only ones who can't tank it and its not right for the little red menace to be singled out.

90% of runner deaths occur as a young runner. It takes less than 7 minutes to upgrade or evolve.

It's because they're bad.

[WorstInTheLooby]

90% of runner deaths occur as a young runner. It takes less than 7 minutes to upgrade or evolve.

It's because they're bad.

Mature runners that haven't been hurt by marines should be able to limp away from mines with a sliver of health.
Any good runner can be as risky as they want if they evolve into mature, marine reaction times to Xenos suddenly pouncing into view on top of a marine is pretty poor if they aren't currently engaged, if a runner pounces the marine is probably already standing again and being friendly fired by shotgun shells or AP rounds. They've also probably had the helmet they had on torn off or are face-hugged from hugger dropping, usually in the space of a couple rt seconds.

I do think it isn't that they're bad, I think it's because they aren't good, it's the half empty or half full glass way of looking at things, it's a lot easier for most good players to look down on worse players than themselves, doesn't necessarily mean you're doing terrible, you might just be a bit closer to the skill floor, judging players of similar skill how you'd prefer yourself to be judged is just as easy to do.

Runners are also the fastest Xenos and only get faster, having that speed is great, you can cut off injured marines after they fail a skirimish, face-hugging or killing medics and injured marines, a pretty common target of opportunity on the jungle map, most players wouldn't expect Xenos to have gotten far behind a retreat or caught up with the end of one.

In all seriousness waiting till mature is a very small price to pay, aliens stuck in the second wave of players as runners can get Ancient really quickly. Just stay alive is the big Runner strat.

[Sancronis]

I've found that, on Shiva's Snowball, playing defensively can go brilliantly. Although there was a long wait, the hive only lost one alien who was obeying orders (hunters and runners were the only ones permitted on the surface at this point) whilst taking at least two dozen infected marines.

The corridors can be filled with loads of small fortifications that allow for the tactics that benefit hunters and runners so they can ambush easily, but long thin sections can be left for boiler bombardments. The marine assault on a hive that hasn't lost sisters attacking the marines can go disastrously, allowing for them to be devastated when you launch your counter offensive.

[Radimir]

Once on the Sully, a certain tactic I was a part of works brilliantly.

The Xenokrieg. All xenos rush not to the east, but to the west! Right into the marines' strongpoint of always protecting the west side of the hangar.

When done right, with Queen Screeches and a couple of Crusher Stomps, you quickly take out a large portion of the remaining defenders.

This also works well because you can quickly overwhelm the bridge. But you have to move fast. Too slow and the marines will organize Fort Table on the Sully, with their 10,000 sentries.

Also don't forget you can vent crawl. Officers have holed up in the bridge, shutters down and a sentry at every entryway pointed to the East? Climb in. Bridge officers don't know what a welding tool is, picking it up is -beneath- them. Welding vents? That's grunt work!

Me (Mature Sentinel) a Mature Spitter and three mature runners managed to take out a seven person bridge crew by all organizing in hivemind and ventcrawling into the bridge at the same time. The sudden popping up of five xenos behind your fortifications tends to overwhelm the marines.

[Toroic]

Once on the Sully, a certain tactic I was a part of works brilliantly.

The Xenokrieg. All xenos rush not to the east, but to the west! Right into the marines' strongpoint of always protecting the west side of the hangar.

When done right, with Queen Screeches and a couple of Crusher Stomps, you quickly take out a large portion of the remaining defenders.

This also works well because you can quickly overwhelm the bridge. But you have to move fast. Too slow and the marines will organize Fort Table on the Sully, with their 10,000 sentries.

Also don't forget you can vent crawl. Officers have holed up in the bridge, shutters down and a sentry at every entryway pointed to the East? Climb in. Bridge officers don't know what a welding tool is, picking it up is -beneath- them. Welding vents? That's grunt work!

Me (Mature Sentinel) a Mature Spitter and three mature runners managed to take out a seven person bridge crew by all organizing in hivemind and ventcrawling into the bridge at the same time. The sudden popping up of five xenos behind your fortifications tends to overwhelm the marines.

I do not think it is wise to rush west because it is been a popular tactic to use research f it is been a popular tactic to use research grenades and to drop them down the central ladders.

I do like the coordinated vent crawl, but 5 aliens versus seven Marines should be pretty heavily in favor of the aliens

[Radimir]

It worked last night. Ravagers and Crushers leading, lesser castes cleaning up their charges, drones spewing weeds as we charged forward. We did not stop until we hit medbay. After about fifteen seconds to regroup, the entire wave of xenos charged up into medbay. It was a rolling wave of xenos carnage that did not stop until curved back and into the escape pods.

It worked because the marines never had a chance to regroup and fall back to a defensible position.

[Renomaki]

Runners should be sneaky and always be hiding under things waiting for lone marines to pass by and pouncerape them.
Good things to hide under are tables, fuel tanks, resin nests, open lockers.

Can I just say something about how people who die as runners aren't usually really that bad? Its not like they're horrible at playing Xeno. Mostly they just attempt what other castes do (like hunters), with less health, less damage, and less tacklestun, meaning inherently more risk. Its just really easy to mess up as a runner (hell, its easy to mess up as a ravager and kick the bucket), but that doesn't mean that running into a pile of marines was a bad move, or waiting around the corner for them. Just a riskier one compared to other castes which do the same exact things. Plus the fact that they die to mines on a regular basis isn't their fault, and doesn't make them dumb. All castes make the mistake of going over mines, its just that they're the only ones who can't tank it and its not right for the little red menace to be singled out.

I played runner a few times, and often made it to elite or higher.. But I spent most of my time as runner running away and using my pounces to dodge bullets rather than attack people.

Runners make decent scouts for sure, but that is what they are best at: Scouting. I think a lot of people who play runner don't understand that the runner isn't the best class to robust groups of marines with, and more than not end up on a platter due to their overestimation of the runner's power, even when high ranked. Sure, if you are attacking a small group of marines with a few aliens as backup, then you'll certainly get to rip a throat out or two.. But other than that, most of your time spent as a runner should be along the darkness and under tables, reporting back your findings as you discover them, not attempting to hunt as a fragile speedster.

Now that I think about it.. How many runners DO behave as scouts? I noticed quite a lot of them tend to die at young or mature, and don't seem to really get in much detail on their scout runs. Heck, I wonder how many even attempt to hide from marines rather than attempt to hug them in some desperation to be robust?

[Toroic]

I played runner a few times, and often made it to elite or higher.. But I spent most of my time as runner running away and using my pounces to dodge bullets rather than attack people.

Runners make decent scouts for sure, but that is what they are best at: Scouting. I think a lot of people who play runner don't understand that the runner isn't the best class to robust groups of marines with, and more than not end up on a platter due to their overestimation of the runner's power, even when high ranked. Sure, if you are attacking a small group of marines with a few aliens as backup, then you'll certainly get to rip a throat out or two.. But other than that, most of your time spent as a runner should be along the darkness and under tables, reporting back your findings as you discover them, not attempting to hunt as a fragile speedster.

Now that I think about it.. How many runners DO behave as scouts? I noticed quite a lot of them tend to die at young or mature, and don't seem to really get in much detail on their scout runs. Heck, I wonder how many even attempt to hide from marines rather than attempt to hug them in some desperation to be robust?

Assuming equal skill a mature/elite/ancient runner should be able to beat a lone marine easily with huggers. Scouting, picking off lone marines, and attacking after higher tier xenos go in to clean up is the role of a runner. Their plasma and pounce doesn't recharge fast enough to be the kind of skirmisher hunters are, but a runner's fast movement will always have several important uses.

Ancient Runners are quite deadly attacking with a group. Crusher stomp and then 3 runners go in to hug and drag off marines is a very effective combo.

[Lokiki_01]

Hello my lovely hive!
There was almoust nothing in the tread about hunters and their true power. So, from Russia with love, we must understand all +- of hunting.

NEVER OVEREXTEND - the major rule of all xenos, when your health is fucked up - retreat, you won't lose much, if regain from injured/slightly injured form, but you will survive unexpected bursts from a marine group.

UNTIL ELITE ALWAYS BRING HUGGERS - tacklespam is strong with hunter, but if you can just run by a marine and drop two huggers - you can attack even 3 men at once(if they arent very robust). One hugged, one tackeled and being slashed to hands or legs, while you dodging bullets from 3-d. When you would upgrade to elite - better leave one hugger nearby and have one hand empty to be ready for epic tacklespam, also, your slashes now strong as hell, so you will rip their libs pretty fast.

BETTER GO FOR LIMBS - if you (sorry for my bad english, I dont want to google translate now) kill their limbs, marines more likely would be in crit already and woulnd be a treat for you anymore. When head slashing or even body will take more time for downing a marine.

HUNT IN PAIRS(but only if second hunter dont suck :3 ) its like, power in numbers. Two good hunters can take 3-4 marines one at time.

STRIKE FROM THE BACK - yes, you can be frontline attacker, but you really want to be killed by HE SADAR? Or be blocked from retreating by some runners or crushers? NOPE, you fast and agile! Pounce all the time, dodge bullets, wait for a good moment to strike. When there will be fight near the river, attacking medics or reinforcments on pathway near Hydro or Medical would make a huge deal for you friends at river.

SLASH THAT F*CKING GRILLES AND WINDOWS!! - you have a lot of spare time before marines got to the planet, and after you collect 12-15 monkeys for your hive. Later you will need these clear paths to flank and retreat.

COLLECT DAT MONKEYS BITCH! - theres like a lot of monkeys everywhere, and you need to know all locations, disarm-pulldevour four at a time-drop at hive - do that 3 times, then evolve to hunter, then GET MORE OF DAT FURRY HOSTS!!

LOCATE THE QUEEN FIRST AND PROVIDE HER WITH PLASMA - optional thing, when there're two drones going for Queen. She will be in love with you from first sight and would give you dat jelly :3

DON'T POUNCE ON MARINES IF THERE MORE THEN TWO - you will die, very quick, because of 2(?) seconds stan after pouncing. You can just ponce close to them, tackle/infect - pounce away

Comrades, thats all for now, also I want to hear you thoughts about hunters. By myself, I was playing crusher a lot before, then tried ravager, but then I end up with hi risk hi reward hunter.

+ you may kill and infect a lot
- or you can just die, when you encounter Boris and his chaps
+ with every success of you, attack on your hive would be more light
+ you can fight in a number of ways: alone, in pair, with crusher on frontline, crawling in the vents on Sulaco...
- you need to sweat a LOT, to play like this
+ even if you die, you can recover from it, unlike crusher or other T3-s

P.S. Long live the Queen!

[Toroic]

Nice post Lokiki. Might steal some of it for a hunter guide I'm working on.


I wanted to revive this thread to discuss where xenos should try to fight and where they should avoid fighting.

I'll be using some Sun Tzu's 9 situations to describe some areas, because it's both cool and appropriate to do so. For now, consider this post a work in progress.


The River: Difficult Ground

Sun Tzu's advice: "In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march."


I see a number of xeno teams try to fight at the river and it typically ends with massive losses for the xenos. You have access to hemmed-in ground in the form of tunnels where you can't get an OB dropped on you. Using them is the key to success.

If you must go through the river, follow Sun Tzu's advice and "keep on the march" meaning don't stop, move through as a group to camp in hydro or fitness.

[Casany]

I usually don't play xeno, but when I do I either go queen or runner. I'm going to state some runner tips here!

So, you want to be a good runner eh? Well, first off, DONT go near the marine EVER until mature! Even then it's better to stay away from them. Sure you can take a lone marine out, but I usually spend my time looking for weak points in the marines FOB or looking for monkeys that may have been missed. Now, if you survive till ancient, rejoice my friends. When your elite, it's time for you to start harassing those damn hosts! Personally, I use my speed to strafe and run around small groups of marines, waiting for them to waste all their ammo on me. It's satisfying to make them waste their ammo. The second you here the Beep Beep Beep on a pulse rifle or the click of a shortly POUNCE! You will almost always get a lone marine using this strategy. I have taken out 4 marines (who were in a group) using this. It's risky and you WILL take damage no matter what. Now, as ancient you are a SPEED DEMON! What most people don't realize is that yes, your fast but guess what? You are WEAK. Ancient runners can take 8 pulse rifle shots before going into CRIT, so don't think your invinsible! Another thing is that you don't want to try and attack groups bigger then 5. A strategy I use is to run around the FOB and injuring people, making them waste ammo and medical supplies. Runners are the ultimate weapon of ATTRITION. Sorry for the typos, I'm doing this on my phone since I don't have my laptop with me. Anyway, just sharing some tips

[Jroinc1]

I personally always go spitter as xeno. Spitters have a mix of a decent ranged attack that DOES DAMAGE, moderate mobility, and regular acid.

They're the perfect harassment caste, and when I play, I'll try and find a marine blob, and hit em with acid, then run off. It's not the most potent stuff, but I've broken attacks before by being outside of the hive and landing 12-15 hits over 5 minutes by yakety-saxing in and out of their range and hitting from different positions, while the marines are fighting the rest of the hive. The damage isn't much, but it adds up, especially if they have a poor medic who uses an autoinjector on the first hit.

As for neurotox spam, it's awesome, but you really need other xenos to use it effectively. If you can grab a runner or hunter, go spam the humans, but if you can't, just acid spit everything. A neurotox hit annoys for 2-3 seconds, but dat 5-10 damage from the acid is forever, and requires medical supplies to fix.

Acid. You have regular acid, decent mobility, and get enough plasma to melt something in 5 ticks (4 once upgraded). Melt everything. That flashlight? Melted. Those 3 guns? Gone. That medkit and dropped backpack? Aint there no more. The dropped sadar of the critted spec? FEAST ON HIS TEARS. Flarespam outside the FOB? Give each and every one a little of your special juices. The walls to the FoB? Xeno gate now. Sentry base? Gone, and melt the empty crate too. Dropship hull and doors? Well, you need a way out... Tcomms blast doors? MELT IT AND CONSUME THEIR COMMS. Wall leading to space? Melt i... WAIT NO ADMINHELP THAT ONE YOU FUCKED UP... but yeah. Melt ALL the things. I gain power from the tears of marines when I acid their 3-attachment weapon, or god forbid, a spec wep.

[Renomaki]

I personally always go spitter as xeno. Spitters have a mix of a decent ranged attack that DOES DAMAGE, moderate mobility, and regular acid.

They're the perfect harassment caste, and when I play, I'll try and find a marine blob, and hit em with acid, then run off. It's not the most potent stuff, but I've broken attacks before by being outside of the hive and landing 12-15 hits over 5 minutes by yakety-saxing in and out of their range and hitting from different positions, while the marines are fighting the rest of the hive. The damage isn't much, but it adds up, especially if they have a poor medic who uses an autoinjector on the first hit.

As for neurotox spam, it's awesome, but you really need other xenos to use it effectively. If you can grab a runner or hunter, go spam the humans, but if you can't, just acid spit everything. A neurotox hit annoys for 2-3 seconds, but dat 5-10 damage from the acid is forever, and requires medical supplies to fix.

Acid. You have regular acid, decent mobility, and get enough plasma to melt something in 5 ticks (4 once upgraded). Melt everything. That flashlight? Melted. Those 3 guns? Gone. That medkit and dropped backpack? Aint there no more. The dropped sadar of the critted spec? FEAST ON HIS TEARS. Flarespam outside the FOB? Give each and every one a little of your special juices. The walls to the FoB? Xeno gate now. Sentry base? Gone, and melt the empty crate too. Dropship hull and doors? Well, you need a way out... Tcomms blast doors? MELT IT AND CONSUME THEIR COMMS. Wall leading to space? Melt i... WAIT NO ADMINHELP THAT ONE YOU FUCKED UP... but yeah. Melt ALL the things. I gain power from the tears of marines when I acid their 3-attachment weapon, or god forbid, a spec wep.

I too love being a spitter, but I wonder if you go full frontal with it, or exploit the darkness to your advantage?

See, unlike melee-based xenos, the spitter is a great class for guerrilla combat and scare tactics. I tend to avoid using my darksight as much as possible when I roll as a spitter, instead using the lights the marines give off to give me an idea as to where they are, keeping within the dark tiles to the best of my ability. Nothing is more amusing than watching marines soil themselves from the sudden acid spit that came right outta nowhere. They often end up wasting ammo trying to FIND the source of the acid, me running away and keeping in the darkness the best I can until I lose them, only to stalk them back and continue to torment them from the darkness.

Not only does it induce fear and kills a marine's focus, but it also slowly weakens them and distracts them from larger conflicts. I don't need to kill anything as a spitter, merely bring fear into the hearts of men as I force them to spray and pray just to find me in the dark.

[EMT_321]

I rarely see runners use their Hide verb. If you get under some corpses, tables, or other scenery you can easily let the marine attack roll over you. At that point, tackling the stragglers with huggers works pretty well. I've killed engineers trying to move turrets up in what they thought was a safe line before.

[Logi99]

I don't know if this works now a days because of the new systems and all. But I've turned a whole round around. With 3 aliens as I was playing queens. We did have hosts but they were recently caught. I made a kindergarten where I filled it with jelly when the hosts burst. I bet the dead chat were like. No way they gonna win.

We had to face a damn predator to begin with. If we wanted to attack marines. We'd have to get the predator outta the way. Coronel Jones was playing as the predator. We 4v1'd the predator. IT was only a Crusher, Me, Ravager and a Carrier. Carrier was the like Naruto Ninja Storm support char. I screech'd and if predator got back up Crusher stomps. Ravager slashes da fak out of it. Apparently this was metagaming but the entire hive got destroyed by Orbital Strikes, we heard beeping which was like ORbital Beacon. We ran away. CJ still said this was metagaming but he let us go. Cuz we got foked hard.

Marines decided to patrol instead of turtle cuz MOTHER snitched on us. >:(. Carrier and Crusher worked together. WE had a hivelord a long time till he blew up OB. I made a egg room full of 150+ eggs, Egokor was apparently playing the Ravager. He knew about that round. Carrier was in heaven btw. During the captures. We took 4 hosts. Eventually one of them turned into a Hivelord to create a tunnel to the Hydroponics.

Marines evacuated cuz we were screwing dem up. Then they cmae back down with the Rasputin. More hosts. Then I ordered everybody on the Rasputin, I was about to press the computer. Till It just whent. Boot tototototoototot. They were gonna plan another attack.

SURPRISE ATTACK MADAFAKARS. Always do a surproise attack if u planningwith a big bird. Or try using the pod if it's down. That's all. We won that round. Major