Brain suckers are making the game unplayable

[Ohio9]

I have to say Brain suckers are absolutely ruining the game for me. It seems like there is no way to handle them when you are playing in turn based mode. They can reach my team from pretty much anywhere on the map. And reaction fire barely helps at all. Early in the game, my troops suck so bad that they miss about 98% of their reaction shots. I can end a turn with my entire 12 man team at full time units, all facing the direction a brain sucker is coming at me from, and somehow they will still get through to lach on to someone.

There just doesn't seem to be any defense against them, and I'm taking mass casualties on what should be easy missions.

Now playing on real-time solves the problem easily, but that's really no solution because playing XCOM with the real-time option is miserable. It's not how the game is meant to be played.

Is there any way to handle them in turn based mode?

[Mortal Wombat]

autocannons with explosive ammo did the trick for me. that way you dont need direct hit, just somewhere near. maybe incendiary ammo would work too, didnt try that though...

[HK-47]

^ I agree with the previous post. Also make sure you are having you crew crouch, or lay down. It increases their accuracy in a real way. And never end a turn in tight spaces if possible.

[Ohio9]

Originally posted by Mortal Wombat:

autocannons with explosive ammo did the trick for me. that way you dont need direct hit, just somewhere near. maybe incendiary ammo would work too, didnt try that though...

Incendiary doesn't help. The Brainsuckers don't spend enough time in fire to take damage. They will stroll through 20 squares of flames with no trouble.

[chaosbringer42]

If you are willing to play savescummy, you can throw a gas or smoke grenade where they are going to come from. They have low hp and stamina so both would knock them out. Another easy way to deal with them would be to pick up the pods before they hatch (they are a lootable item and CANNOT hatch when in your inventory). Normally I play realtime however, as turnbased is way too easy.

Edit : Fire damage is quite weak in turnbased unless you start or end your turn in the fire, so if they run through it it doesnt do that much.

[Ohio9]

Originally posted by chaosbringer42:

If you are willing to play savescummy, you can throw a gas or smoke grenade where they are going to come from. They have low hp and stamina so both would knock them out. Another easy way to deal with them would be to pick up the pods before they hatch (they are a lootable item and CANNOT hatch when in your inventory). Normally I play realtime however, as turnbased is way too easy.

Edit : Fire damage is quite weak in turnbased unless you start or end your turn in the fire, so if they run through it it doesnt do that much.

Well I really try not to do any save scumming, as that removes any challenge from the game. I know you can pick up the pods, but that doesn't help in turned based mode, since when they are fired from a brain sucker launcher, they will hatch during that enemy turn before you can pick them up.

By the way, do the aliens ever stop carrying brain sucker launchers as they get access to more advanced weaponry?

[HK-47]

Originally posted by Ohio9:

Originally posted by chaosbringer42:

If you are willing to play savescummy, you can throw a gas or smoke grenade where they are going to come from. They have low hp and stamina so both would knock them out. Another easy way to deal with them would be to pick up the pods before they hatch (they are a lootable item and CANNOT hatch when in your inventory). Normally I play realtime however, as turnbased is way too easy.

Edit : Fire damage is quite weak in turnbased unless you start or end your turn in the fire, so if they run through it it doesnt do that much.

Well I really try not to do any save scumming, as that removes any challenge from the game. I know you can pick up the pods, but that doesn't help in turned based mode, since when they are fired from a brain sucker launcher, they will hatch during that enemy turn before you can pick them up.

By the way, do the aliens ever stop carrying brain sucker launchers as they get access to more advanced weaponry?

They do upgrade their equpitment, but brainsuckers are always a possiblity due to the fact that they are cheap and highly effective.

[chaosbringer42]

Originally posted by Ohio9:

Originally posted by chaosbringer42:

If you are willing to play savescummy, you can throw a gas or smoke grenade where they are going to come from. They have low hp and stamina so both would knock them out. Another easy way to deal with them would be to pick up the pods before they hatch (they are a lootable item and CANNOT hatch when in your inventory). Normally I play realtime however, as turnbased is way too easy.

Edit : Fire damage is quite weak in turnbased unless you start or end your turn in the fire, so if they run through it it doesnt do that much.

Well I really try not to do any save scumming, as that removes any challenge from the game. I know you can pick up the pods, but that doesn't help in turned based mode, since when they are fired from a brain sucker launcher, they will hatch during that enemy turn before you can pick them up.

By the way, do the aliens ever stop carrying brain sucker launchers as they get access to more advanced weaponry?

The suckers only hatch if they are fired and land near you, misses dont hatch right away every time. Also one of the best ways to kill brainsuckers in turnbased is probably machine guns with rapid fire and snipers with aimed shot (accurate reaction shots for the snipers, and a crapload of bullets for the other, both can eat brainsuckers alive).

[Ohio9]

Well it's gotten a bit better now in week 3. Brain suckers are rarely showing up as enemies, while the regular enemies don't seem to have brain sucker launchers any more.

Odd how at the start of the game, the aliens have essentially the deadliest weapon you can face, brain sucker launchers, and they lose it over time.

[suicidalsquirrel]

unfortunately, the turn based mode in Apoc always seemed tacked-on... like they put it there to stop people complaining it wasn't there, but didn't really re-balance anything from the real-time game they'd made.

Apoc was certainly a new take on the series, and let's be fair, real time isn't the strangest place they took the franchise.

could really do with an enforcer on the team in these games sometimes though.

[jmsand1]

I always found smoke grenades handy vs brainsuckers. If you know or suspect one will hatch and come at you, arm and then drop a smoke grenade next to your trooper.

[yoyomx]

- Explosives are your best bet against them. Every soldier should have at least one explosive device with them.
- Robots should always be your scouts (which have a greater chance of meeting brainsuckers). Robots can´t be mind controlled, and they can´t be brain sucked.
- When facing brainsuckers, if possible, have someone stand behind the most likely target: They can sometimes kill it while it´s climbing to the other soldier´s head.
- Later in the game, when you get weapons that can make holes in walls,brainsuckers become less of a problem since it becomes easier for other soldiers to get close for the kill.

Note: I always play turn-based.

[Telfram]

Fire and explosives are your friend.

[CT-27-5555]

I'm going to necro this for anyone else that finds this thread. In turn based, have the lead soldiers lay down, the suckers cannot mount you in this position.

[Michael]

just go prone. The suckers will not have any effect.

[K4RN4L]

Just a short hint from a veteran: When you know that they bring brainsuckers into the mission, just let your soldiers crouch and lay flat on the ground.

The Brainsuckers will ofc jump at the soldiers but will get knocked unconscious because the game doesn't have a Brainsucker-animation for a crouching unit. So, problem solved. Works like a charm and feels a bit like a cheat but makes the game far more enjoyable. Plus you get the Brainsuckers alive.

Hope that helps.