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[NUKE9.13]

I respected Nuke´s idea to convert his point in a vehicle point.

uwot mate? I never said that.
I mean, using it as a VP may be the right call. Let's see what the results of the design are first though, eh?

[10ebbor10]

Lesser Muton: Despite the unfortunate corruption of our gene banks (or whatever other explanation there is for us not being able to instantly deploy the aliens' usual roster), we still possess the majority of the Muton species' DNA. Rebuilding the original genetic structure would be tricky, but fortunately we can take a short-cut, by splicing in bits of other species' DNA to fill in the gaps. Anything that will fit, really, be it Alien or Earthish in origin.
The result is not quite as impressive as the Mutons we once knew, but it is still a formidable specimen. 7ft tall, intensely muscled, clad in substantial combat armour, what we are calling the Lesser Muton is still expected to be capable of taking a serious beating, thanks to the special bone and muscle structure that protects vital organs and arteries. Their prodigious strength let them wield heavier weaponry than Sectoids and throw grenades further, whilst the genetic memory of their warrior culture instils in them natural tactical proficiency.

Hard 2 + 1 -1 = 2 (Utter failure)

The Muton is a gene-engineered combat beast. The lesser muton should have been a smaller variant, suited to operate in Earth's biosphere without the common issues that unexpected biological substances have upon many extraterrestrial creatures. Unfortunately, the integration of new DNA segments into the carefully engineered structure causes dramatic unexpected effects. The lesser mutton suffers alternatively from severe gigantism and dwarfism, has tremendous circulatory and auto-immune isssues, and shows no measurable brain activity.

Prepare the invasion

Unusual psionic signals detected : Current Location Unknown
Additional mission objective unlocked : Investigate signal (Requirement : Deploy and retrieve a unit equipped with gift on any mission)

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

Vehicles

Small scout : One of the tiniest vessels at your disposal, the Small scout is both cheap and reliable. Powered by a single Elerium core, the vessel makes decent speed, while carrying up to 2 units to their destination. It's equipped with a plasma turret for self defense . Cost : 1 VP

Light fighter : Roughly half the size of a Small Scout, the Light fighter is a small craft that can be slaved to a nearby UFO to defend it. It's armed with 3 forward firing plasma guns, giving it a decent amount of firepower. Like the small scout, it is powered by a single Elerium core that gives it decent speed. Cost : 1 VP

Medium fighter Roughly 3 quarters the size of a small scout, the medium fighter is a small automated craft capable of independent operation. It's armed with 3 forward firing plasma guns, giving it a decent amount of firepower. Powered by an enlarged Elerium reactor, it's small size gives it greatly superior speed and maneuverability. Cost : 2 VP

Equipment

Plasma Pistols : A basic simple sidearm that has been used in many pacification operations. The plasma pistol is a dependable bit of equipment that is light but not particularly powerful.

Elerium Grenade : The elerium grenade is powerful handheld explosive. Cost : 1 EP

Meld Container : A container filled with the precious Meld, a substance that consists out of billions of cybernetic nanomachines that automatically capture, catalogue and analyse any foreign DNA they find. Greatly increases the effectiveness of recovery operations. If capture threatens, the container will perform an auto-sterilization cycle.  Cost : 1 EP

ECM equipped flight computer : A modified flight computer that can mimic a larger ship or deceive missiles (sometimes), at the cost of shutting of the flight computer.
Cost : 0

Aliens
Sectoid : A formerly weak species with a limited capability for the gift. Nonetheless, their simple biology allows to easily clone these creatures and deploy them in great numbers. Integration of human DNA has brought their strength up to par with human baseline.
    - Reversable Mind Merge: Merge minds with an organic, intelligent friendly or enemy, giving or drawing upon them for strength
Cost 1 UP

Scout drone : A small but fast scout drone armed with powerfull short range non-lethal weaponry and powerfull sensors. Effective at hunting down humans as well as spotting threats, but lightly armored.
Cost 1 UP or 1 EP

Skin Crawler : An infiltrator unit capable of mimicking human form (more or less). Has 8 claw equipped tentacles and is capable of using most handheld technologies.
Cost 2 UP (+1 UP if infiltrated [Infiltrated units require no transportation, but can not use equipment]) [2 UP worth free] 

Mission Profiles

Harvest: A simple mission profile that involves a UFO landed in a secluded area to capture humans other lifeforms for analysis in the main base.

Recruit Collaborators : A more complex mission profile that relies on the insertion of infiltrating units to make contact and recruit potential collaborators.

Alien Resources

4+1 VP
6 UP
2 EP

1 UP
Dark side of the Moon base [Hidden, Industrious]

Spoiler: PANIC METER (click to show/hide)

Africa
---> Egypt
---> South Africa
---> Nigeria

Asia
--->Australia  Light infiltration
--->China
--->India
--->Japan

Europe
--->France
--->Germany
--->Russia
--->United Kingdom

North America
--->Canada
--->Mexico
--->United States

South America
--->Argentina
--->Brazil   X

Invasion Phase

Challenge award : Later

Info : We're detecting unusual psionic activity from the planet. The signal was very weak and could not be located, but it was definitively there.

Turn 5

AABBCCDD
[/quote]

[NUKE9.13]

Uh. The Lesser Muton was meant to be easier. Not more effective. Indeed, it was meant to be less effective. The way the results are worded makes it sound like regular Mutons would have been Normal.

[10ebbor10]

Uh. The Lesser Muton was meant to be easier. Not more effective. Indeed, it was meant to be less effective. The way the results are worded makes it sound like regular Mutons would have been Normal.

That's me trying to justify why you can't deploy your usual roster of aliens. All the regular aliens are allergic to the biosphere.

It's nit an indication that a normal muton woukd have been easier.

[NUKE9.13]

Ah, okay. Fair enough.

[Kashyyk]

Well that sucks. I suspect the Brute would have been the same level of difficulty though, so I can't cackle to hard.

Anyway, I suggest the following plan:

Mission 1
Target: Argentina
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1EP)
Objective: Investigate Signal

Mission 2
Target: Mexico
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1EP)
Objective: Investigate Signal

Mission 3
Target: France
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1UP)
Objective: Investigate Signal

Mission 4
Target: Japan
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1UP)
Objective: Investigate Signal

Mission 5
Target: Egypt
Vehicle: 1xSmall Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP)
Objective: Investigate Signal

Total Cost: 5VP, 7UP, 2EP

This plan is intended to flood XCom with targets. We will lose some, but the majority should get through and allow us to find the signal and hit it next turn.

[piratejoe]

That plan is basically giving Xcom a pinata full of candy like tech...

[Kashyyk]

Not really. It's like littering a load of hard to find candies around, versus putting them all in a very obvious, locked box.

Except XCom have demonstrated that they can break into that box, whereas they can't search for stuff.

You know what, this metaphor is getting a bit laboured.

Every time we go for one heavy group, XCom successfully beats us and gets a 100% interception rate for that turn. The times we've launched multiple missions, they haven't been able to intercept all of them, generating a <100% interception rate.

Clearly we need to deploy in breadth rather than depth, especially as our front-line trooper design flopped.

[NUKE9.13]

I was going to suggest a similar plan, except that we make one of the missions appear to be a larger craft, to reduce the chances of XCOM sending people after all five.
Sending one mission to each continent makes sense, since even if we don't hit the right country, the signal should be clearer if we get the right continent, and then next turn we can narrow it down further.
I'm not sure we should spend our Joker Token on UP, though, which the plan currently requires.
Also, I believe that Investigate Signal is something we can add to any mission, and not a mission type in and of itself (ebbor?)

So I would do it like this:

Mission 1
Target: Argentina
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1EP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 2
Target: Mexico
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1EP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 3
Target: France
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1UP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 4
Target: Japan
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 5
Target: Egypt
Vehicle: 1xSmall Scout (1VP), masquerading as a Medium-sized craft.
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Total Cost: 5VP, 6UP, 2EP

[10ebbor10]

Also, I believe that Investigate Signal is something we can add to any mission, and not a mission type in and of itself (ebbor?)

It's additional.

[SamSpeeds]

The more I think of reasons to support or modify that plan, the more I realize it's genius! They have two options: Deploy an interceptor to deal with every mission, and let us through when at least one or two UFOs survive and they have no ability to deploy ground forces to follow up (plus they probably get no loot then), OR decide to concentrate on one or two missions with skyrangers and whatnot, but then let some in unopposed. Of course, that relies on them not having way more VP than us, but I think that's a safe bet for now. I really doubt they won't try to intercept every mission, but either way we have like an 80%-100% chance of success given the current strength of both sides. Also, we should utilize ECM to fake them out.

Triangulate the Signal V2: (2) NUKE, SamSpeeds
Triangulate the Signal: (1) Kashyyk

[NUKE9.13]

V2 does use ECM to make the last Small Scout appear to be a Medium-sized craft.

[Kashyyk]

I'm happy with those modifications.

Triangulate the Signal V2: (3) NUKE, SamSpeeds, Kashyyk
Triangulate the Signal: ()

[TopHat]

Thoughts:
1. I'd have the masquerading craft attack Brazil (and switch the Argentina one to Africa), hopefully making them prioritise it more.
2. We have a free unit of Skin Crawlers; no reason not to use it. We also have one UP token to spend and the free token (I'd recommend spending it on either grenades (EP) or on a small scout and then using the spare on a light fighter to accompany the 'medium ship'. Or just another scout.).
3. If we want any DNA to improve our next shot at making a frontliner we should take some Meld. This does mean they may capture it, though.

EDIT: Maybe something like this?:

Spend one UP token on Sectoids

Mission 1
Target: Egypt
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid, Meld Container (1EP), 1x Skin Crawler (FREE).
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 2
Target: Mexico
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1UP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 3
Target: France
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1x Scout Drone (1UP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 4
Target: Japan
Vehicle: 1x Small Scout (1VP)
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP), 1 Scout Drone (1EP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Mission 5
Target: Brazil
Vehicle: 1xSmall Scout (1VP), masquerading as a Medium-sized craft.
Crew: 1x Sectoid (1UP)
Objective: Harvest+Investigate Signal

Total Cost: 5VP, 6UP, 2EP

That still leaves the unbound token.

[SamSpeeds]

If I recall correctly, meld is not a requirement for obtaining DNA tokens, it just means we can get more or something. Also, it auto-sterilizes and I doubt they are advanced enough to bypass it and successfully capture.