Our plasma pistol is an effective sidearm but hindered at long ranges. Fortunately the improved strength of our sectoids enables the use of heavier weaponry. This model has been extended into a full-blown rifle, making it both more accurate and more powerful. As a result its effectiveness at longer ranges should be increased significantly. Slots have been included above and below the barrel for any additions such as sights or grenade launchers we may later develop.
Hard : 4 + 3 -1 = 6 Above Average
The plasma rifle is an effective and powerful weapon, building on the earlier plasma pistol. Beam intensity and coherence have been significantly increased, giving the weapon far greater effective range and greater stopping power. It retains the relatively high fire rate from the plasma pistol, and an enlarged elerium power cell gives it plenty of ammunition. In addition, slots are provided for any potential future modification. Currently, that is limited to a simple scope.
Craft: 1 Medium Scout, 1 Small Scout, 1 Medium Fighter ((6 Unit Storage))
Units: 1 ( Free) Infiltrated Skin Crawlers, 1 (Free) Sectoid, 2 Skin Crawlers, 1 Sectoid, 1 UP Scout Drone
Equipment: 1 AAA Missile on Medium Fighter, 1 AAA Missile on Medium Scout
Destination: Australia
Mission Type: “Rescue Contact’s Relative”
With a thunderous roar, another elerium mortar shell rips through the refinery. Fire and smoke hide the carnage of the fighting, shrouding the battlefield in a suffocating haze. A few seconds later, another shell impacts in the distance, tearing down more of the refinery. In the distance, gunfire erupts, firing at some mysterious targets moving through the mist, before falling silent again. A few seconds later, bolts of plasma fly in the other direction, followed by hastily silenced screams.
Whatever the kidnappers attempted to accomplish, it's clear that they were not prepared for this. From the very start of the mission, when the Skin Crawlers infiltrated the facility (carrying the ransom), they've been outwitted at every step. In seconds, the team holding the hostage was slaughtered by the Skin Crawler claws. Before they could react to that, 2 UFO's dropped down from the skies, one of them immediately starting to pound the facility into ruins. When the rest of the aliens arrived, all they had to do was mop up a scattered, panicking force.
But unfortunately, things can never be that neat. A (hastily destroyed) UAV shows that XCOM knows where you are, and with the entire UFO fleet concentrated, a concentrated response is to be expected.
Contact Mission : SuccessReward : 1 EP
XCOM's fighters are clearly something new. Far larger than the Raven, this new Talon aircraft is a menacing abomination of defiled technology. It looks like a large armored dart, retaining narrow wings despite the fact that the ship clearly has a salvaged grav wave generator. It's signature is all wrong, the arrays arranged to only allow max power in a forward, and being only narrowly capable of hovering in all other directions. They also have salvaged an elerium powercore to keep it in the air, and attached as many missiles as could fit.
XCOM's interception force, consisting 2 of these new Jets (Talons) and 2 Skyrangers separate as they approach the battlefield. The Skyrangers drop down towards the burning refinery, ready to deploy forces. The Talons curve upwards, giving chase to the lone Medium Fighter. It is outnumbered, and outmatched. But it's mechanical is incapable of conceiving such a notion, and it has a new tricks up it's sleeve.
As the Talons close their distance, the Fighter ejects 2 spheres from it's hull. Though called a missile, the AAA is in many ways more similar to the Fighter that launched them, than to the primitive things that XCOM launches in response. Propelled by a simple grav drive, the twin spheres speed towards their target, each homing in upon a Talon fighter. Both attempt to dodge, but neither succeeds.
A powerful explosion engulfs both Talons, fueled by the Elerium in the missiles core. A shock wave of plasma slams into the vessels, tearing away missiles and a gun pods. As the plasma clears, both planes shows great holes torn into their stolen alloy armoring, revealing shattered ceramic beneath the slagged alloy. Not the shattered wrecks expected when the missiles was build, but the enemy did not escape unhurt. Their reactions are slower, their maneuvers less precise ; all indicative of damage sustained. But although they have been stripped of most of their weaponry, the crafts still fly.
The Medium fighter hasn't come of well either. Twelve missiles smashed into it's Defensive Plasma Wave, sending fragments smashing into the UFO. Many accomplished little more than scouring the hull, but a particularly large fragments managed to tear into a plasma cannon, depriving the UFO of most of it's remaining weaponry. Even so, it fights on valiantly, but outnumbered and outgunned as it is all it does is delaying the inevitable.
On the ground, a completely different desperate battle develops as XCOM's forces are steadily whittled down by the advancing alien forces. Every time they stop running; attempt to stop and hold a defensible position, a mortar shells slams down on their position. The remnants of their skyrangers lie scattered through the factory, plucked from the sky by Elerium missiles.
Our forces advance on them, and would have killed them easily, were it not for the return of their 2 Talon's. Leaving hastily, our Small and Medium Scout shoot off into space, taken fire from the enemies railguns. However, with their systems damaged earlier, our forces manage to create sufficient distance before they can get in any lethal shots.
Loot : Exalt Captive Token
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 | 1 Free
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
Medium Scout : Roughly twice the size of it's smaller cousin, the medium scout is medium sized craft powered by a single large elerium reactor. It's armed with 3 plasma turrets around of the rim of the hull, and a mortar for ground use. It's armor is no stronger than that on the light scout, but an extra layer around the core provides extra protection to critical systems/ It's powerful engines give it's decent speed while carrying 4 units.
Cost: 3 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.
Plasma Rifle : An effective weapon that can project jets of plasma over significant ranges with great effect. Comes with modular attachment points. Cost: 1 EP
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.
Cost: 0 EP
Defensive Plasma Wave : A modification of our current generation plasma weaponry, that allows our vessels to engulf themselves in a bath of plasma to stop missiles at close range.
Cost :0EP
AAA missile battery : A missile launcher that replaces a normal plasma cannon. Launches advanced, intelligent and high yield Alien anti air missiles. Each launcher contains 2 missiles. (Cost 1 EP).
Elder's Scorn : A modified Elerium power core that destroy a ship when it sustains damage, or it's crew is killed/incapacitated.
Cost: 0.25 EP
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 ( 1 Free available)
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]) [3 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
2 DNA token, 1 EP token, 1 Exalt Token
Dark side of the Moon base [Hidden, Industrious]
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
:
The Ethereals have decided to catalogue our enemies equipment. The side which manages to make the best description/analysis of a piece of enemy equipment may win a price. Judgment later
Month end : Gain 1 free VP; UP or EP point
Notes : Not happy with this update. Ask questions if you don't understand.
AABBCCDD
Author
Topic: Ethereals : XCOM Arms Race (Read 66113 times)