The dangerest alien!

[Pumpkinhead]

According to the UFOpaedia, the Chryssalid's "brain is well developed", and seeing as it's relatively stupid (intelligence of 4 as opposed to the Ethereal's 8), most of its brain must be utilised by its senses or something

[Mouse Nightshirt]

I'll note, that in my PSX version, they seem somewhat more sensible than in the PC one, but stil are prone to stopping beside your soldier before running off without doing anything. Maybe ran out of TUs

[Blehm 98]

Chrysallids aren't too hard once you get better weapons. But cyberdisks always kill my men so much and i play on veteran. I can beat a chrsallid mission on superhuman and loose less guys than a cyberdisk mission on veteran

[Pumpkinhead]

https://ufopaedia.xcomufo.com/pics/cyberdisc.gif

[Hobbes]

Chryssalids would be pain in the a55 but they are so stupid that they rarely give any challenge. They would be very annoying if they got a bit more brains though..

Hm, from my recent experiences with Chryssies I wouldn't call them stupid, nor intelligent. They're really cautious for sure and that weights tons in dealing with them. One of the things that pisses me is how they wait hidden and wait, occasionally feigning attacks, until a soldier gets within range to be impregnated. Only then will they attack and, after zombifying one of your men, sometimes they'll hide back into cover. Or when one of them decides to circle your position to surprise you in the back. I've had quite some of those experiences: one minute you think you have your left covered because a soldier checked it out three turns ago, the next you discover that a Chryssie jumped there out of nowhere.

 

Not stupid or intelligent, simply devious!

[Snikers]

According to the UFOpaedia, the Chryssalid's "brain is well developed", and seeing as it's relatively stupid (intelligence of 4 as opposed to the Ethereal's 8), most of its brain must be utilised by its senses or something

I always took 'very well developed' to mean like wolf level intelligence or something.

[Jman4117]

Smart enough to be decisive in battle yet dumb enough to control.

[Zombie]

My vote goes to the Chryssalid for the early missions. It has the most time units, and can pretty much appear out of nowhere. Then it can turn your soldier into a zombie in the blink of an eye, and go back into hiding until the next round. With the ability to use its HTH combat skills 7 times in a round on beginner, you can wager on this: if a soldier can see a Chryssalid in one round, most likely you will see a zombie in the next!

 

NKF Posted: Jun 21 2004, 01:56 AM

That's because, on easier levels, all aliens have less armour. This makes your weaker weapons (like pistols and rifles) a lot more effective.

Actually, only on the easiest level (Beginner) do aliens have less armor. The more advanced levels (Experienced, Vetran, Genius, and Superhuman) all have armor ratings double the beginner level. Cyberdiscs with a front armor rating of 17 on beginner, go up to 34 for the tougher levels. Scary? Hardly!

 

Sectopods with an already high front armor of 73 on beginner, go up to 145 for the more advanced levels. Even with laser pistols dealing double-damage to these beasts, 145 points of damage for the front plates makes me cringe. Take into account that Sectopods are the only terror unit with an auto-shot and well... you get the idea. Scary? Gosh yes! For missions later in the game my vote goes to the Sectopod!

 

Ethereals? Yep, they are nasty! High Time Units, Reactions, FA, TA, and armor make these pretty tough. Add the ability to use psionics and "flight", and what you have is one tough alien. I can deal with Ethereals easy enough: just bring along psi resistant troops. Sure, the Ethereal can still successfully panic any of your soldiers, but at least they cannot mind control every one of them! What I have a problem with is the Sectopod!