Alien Nest

Alien Nest

The Alien Nest mission is a crucial operation in XCOM 2, designed to disrupt ADVENT's biological weapon development and prevent the emergence of new, powerful alien threats. Your primary objective in this mission type is to locate and destroy a Stasis Tank containing a formidable alien specimen. This mission is often categorized under the broader objective type: Destroy the Stasis Tank.

These facilities are characterized by their dense, claustrophobic environments, featuring narrow corridors, interconnected chambers, and limited cover. This design inherently favors close-quarters combat and can quickly turn disastrous if not approached with caution and proper tactical planning.

Mission Objectives

• Primary Objective: Locate and destroy the Stasis Tank. This tank typically houses a high-threat alien, such as a Gatekeeper, Sectopod, or even an Avatar, though the latter is rare outside of specific story missions. Destroying the tank prevents the alien from fully maturing or being deployed.
• Secondary Objectives (Variable):
  • Eliminate all enemy forces.
  • Hack an ADVENT terminal for intelligence.
  • Extract all XCOM soldiers.

Enemy Threats and Tactical Advice

The Alien Nest environment is a breeding ground for specific alien types that thrive in close quarters. Expect to encounter:

Chryssalids

These terrifying melee units are particularly dangerous in the confined spaces of an Alien Nest. Their high mobility and ability to poison and cocoon soldiers make them a top priority.

• Tactics:
  • Explosives are your best friend: Chryssalids often clump together or hide behind destructible cover. A well-placed Grenade, Incendiary Bomb, or even a Blaster Launcher can clear multiple Chryssalids or destroy their cover, exposing them to fire.
  • Overwatch Traps: Set up Overwatch cones in narrow corridors or choke points. Chryssalids will often rush directly into your line of fire.
  • Melee Counter: If a Chryssalid gets too close, a Ranger with a high-damage sword attack (especially with Bladestorm) can be effective, but be wary of the poison.
  • High Ground Advantage: While rare, if you can find any elevated positions, use them. It often grants a defensive bonus and better sightlines.
  • Prioritize Cocoons: If Chryssalids manage to cocoon a civilian or soldier, prioritize destroying the cocoon before it hatches a new Chryssalid.

Faceless

These shapeshifting aliens can disguise themselves as civilians, making them a psychological and tactical threat in any mission with civilian populations, including some Alien Nests.

• Tactics:
  • Identify Early: Look for suspicious civilian behavior: standing still in odd places, moving erratically, or being isolated from other civilians. Rangers with the "Conceal" ability can often spot them before they reveal themselves.
  • Area-of-Effect (AoE) Attacks: Explosives are excellent for revealing Faceless without risking a soldier's turn. A Grenade thrown near a suspicious civilian will force a Faceless to reveal itself if it's present.
  • Overwatch: Similar to Chryssalids, Faceless often charge once revealed. Overwatch can catch them in the open.
  • Melee Vulnerability: Faceless have high HP but are susceptible to melee attacks. A Ranger's sword can deal significant damage.
  • Spread Out: When engaging Faceless, ensure your soldiers are not clumped together, as their melee attacks can hit multiple adjacent units.

Other Common Enemies

• Sectoids: Their mind control and reanimation abilities are particularly disruptive in tight spaces. Prioritize them.
• Vipers: Their tongue grab and poison spit can isolate and disable soldiers. Keep your distance or use flashbangs to disrupt their abilities.
• Mutons: Dangerous in close quarters due to their high damage and grenade throws. Use shredding abilities to reduce their armor.
• Andromedons: A late-game threat with heavy armor and powerful attacks. Focus fire and armor-shredding.

Recommended Squad Composition and Loadouts

Given the close-quarters nature and specific enemy types, a balanced and specialized squad is highly recommended:

• Ranger (1-2): Essential for melee damage against Chryssalids/Faceless, scouting with Conceal, and flanking. Equip with high-damage swords (Fusion Blade) and potentially a Shotgun for close-range bursts.
• Grenadier (1-2): Crucial for clearing cover, dealing AoE damage to Chryssalids/Faceless, and shredding armor. Equip with Plasma Grenades, Incendiary Bombs, and potentially a Blaster Launcher.
• Specialist (1): For healing, hacking objectives, and disabling robotic enemies. Equip with Medical Protocol/Field Medic and Gremlin II/III.
• Sharpshooter (1, ideally Gunslinger): While less effective for long-range sniping, a Gunslinger Sharpshooter can provide excellent close-range pistol damage, especially with Fan Fire or Faceoff, which can hit multiple targets.
• Psi Operative (1, late game): Powerful crowd control with Stasis, Null Lance, and Soulfire, invaluable for managing multiple threats in tight spaces.

Recommended Gear

• Flashbang Grenades: Excellent for disorienting Sectoids, Vipers, and Mutons, preventing their special abilities.
• Battle Scanners: Can reveal hidden enemies (Faceless, Chryssalids) and avoid ambushes.
• Medikits/Nanomedikits: Essential for healing poison and general damage.
• Armor Upgrades: Plated or Warden Armor provides crucial HP and utility slots.
• Advanced Explosives: Plasma Grenades, Incendiary Bombs, and Blaster Launchers are game-changers.

Walkthrough and Strategy

1. Initial Approach: Move cautiously. Use your Ranger in Conceal to scout ahead and identify enemy pods without activating them. This is critical in dense environments.
2. Room Clearing: When engaging a pod, prioritize targets. Sectoids, Vipers, and Chryssalids should be dealt with swiftly. Use explosives to destroy cover and soften up groups.
3. Choke Points and Overwatch: Utilize narrow corridors and doorways to your advantage. Set up Overwatch traps, especially when you know Chryssalids or Faceless are present.
4. Identifying the Stasis Tank: The Stasis Tank is usually located in a central, heavily guarded chamber. It's often surrounded by powerful alien units.
5. Engaging the Stasis Tank Room:
   • Breach and Clear: Use explosives to open new entry points if necessary, or use a Ranger to scout the room before committing.
   • Target Prioritization: The aliens guarding the tank are your primary threat. Eliminate them before focusing on the tank itself. Expect powerful units like Gatekeepers, Sectopods, or even multiple Mutons.
   • Destroying the Tank: The Stasis Tank has a significant amount of health and typically requires several shots or a powerful explosive to destroy. Once destroyed, the mission objective will update. Be aware that destroying the tank might trigger additional enemy reinforcements.
6. Extraction: Once the tank is destroyed and all immediate threats are neutralized, proceed to the extraction zone. Ensure all soldiers are extracted to complete the mission successfully.

Common Pitfalls and Missables

• Activating Multiple Pods: The most common mistake in Alien Nests. The confined spaces make it easy to accidentally pull more enemies than you can handle. Scout diligently.
• Underestimating Chryssalids/Faceless: These enemies can quickly overwhelm an unprepared squad. Always have a plan for dealing with them.
• Ignoring Civilian Behavior: Failing to identify Faceless in disguise can lead to devastating surprise attacks.
• Poor Positioning: Clumping soldiers together makes them vulnerable to AoE attacks and Faceless melee. Always maintain good spacing and use available cover.
• Running Out of Explosives: Conserve your grenades for critical moments, but don't hesitate to use them when they can turn the tide of a fight.