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SSPoisoned Icon NOTE: This article or section is in need of cleanup or verification. You can help the XCOM Wiki by improving it.
Reason: 1. Test how many Psi Zombies a Sectoid can control simultaneously -- appears to be 1.
2. Verify the cooldown of the Psi-Reanimate ability.
3. Verify the cooldown of the Mindspin ability.

The Sectoid is an alien enemy encountered in XCOM 2.

Although they bear some resemblance to the Sectoids first encountered during the invasion, their genetic structure now includes human DNA. They are stronger than ever, with an even greater psionic potential.

–Dr. Tygan upon discovering the first Sectoid

Deployment[]

In the early game, Sectoids are always deployed as pod leaders followed by ADVENT. In May (June on Legend difficulty) will appear in pods made entirely of Sectoids or as support troops for other aliens. However, both types of enemy composition coexist for roughly one month.

Abilities[]

  • Mindspin: A "roulette-wheel" type attack with a variety of different effects, potentially including mind-control.
    • Psi-Panic: Dominates the will of a target, attempting to force the target to panic.
    • Psi-Disorientation: Dominates the will of a target, attempting to disorient the target.
    • Mind Control: Dominates the will of a target, controlling its actions for a number of turns, or until the Sectoid or the target is killed.
  • Psi-Reanimate: Summons a Psi Zombie from the corpse of a humanoid target. The Psi Zombie is able to move around independently, but will die if the Sectoid is killed or afflicted with a turn-denying effect. If a mind-controlled Sectoid revives a corpse, the resulting Psi Zombie will stay alive and be friendly even if the Sectoid escapes mind-control or dies. Psi Zombies count as units (missions involving mandatory evac cannot be finished until friendly Psi Zombies are killed as they cannot be evacuated) and their deaths reduce the rating of the mission. Flashbangs and other disorienting effects will cause psi-controlled units to become disconnected from the Sectoid —this also causes Psi Zombies to instantly die.

Tactical information[]

  • Takes +3 damage from melee weapons, effectively doubling Tier 1 sword damage, thus making them ideal targets for Rangers and Templars.

Behavior[]

  • Sectoids are likely to take flanking shots with their plasma pistol if they can. They may reposition to do so, but will avoid getting themselves flanked in the process. Besides flanking, Sectoids will only fire their pistol if they are disoriented or if both of their psionic abilities are otherwise unusable (such as when both abilities are on cooldown, or when there are no valid targets for their psionics). They may also fire if another Sectoid has already acted on their turn.
  • Unless they are in a flanking position, Sectoids will never shoot at a target; they will always choose to use psionics instead.

Notes[]

  • Psi strength of 90 virtually guarantees a successful psionic attack against XCOM soldiers (even on Colonel ranked soldiers) not wearing a Mindshield due to how Will has been reworked in War of the Chosen [citation needed]. (this might have been a developers' oversight)
  • If the loot carried by an ADVENT soldier was destroyed by an explosion, it can be salvaged by killing this unit if it is turned into a Psi-Zombie - in this case the loot will be dropped as usual, requiring to pick up it up. (the loot picked up in this manner are actually 2 loot drops, resulting in salvaging more items, some of them being in quantity of 2 even in the early game and without additional loot drop bonuses)

Tips[]

  • If they have no flanking shot, they will use their psionic attacks, which do not cause direct damage.
    • If there is a suitable corpse nearby, they will raise a Psi Zombie, thus, often wasting a turn, more so if XCOM units have a high ground and can block the path up or safely reposition to avoid the zombie melee attacks.
    • Sectoids which have raised Psi Zombies, spawned close to the XCOM units and being able to reach and damage them on the next turn, should be a higher priority target. Moreover, the Sectoids will then use the Mindspin on their next turn, possibly mind-controlling an XCOM unit.
    • Sectoids which have mind-controlled XCOM units, especially those who can inflict a devastating damage or can remove or move your units out of cover (e.g. Rangers, Templars, Skirmishers, Grenadiers, etc), should usually be the highest priority targets.
  • Consider equipping a Grenadier with a Mindshield and Flashbang Grenade specifically to combat Sectoids. Their immunity to panic and mind control, along with the ability to Disorient Sectoids in order to break panic and mind control for allies along with killing Psi Zombies is invaluable early on in the game. Alternatively, a unit with the least danger to his XCOM allies -- should he become mind-controlled -- can be a candidate for caring a Flashbang grenade, e.g. a Sniper or a Rookie (Flashbang grenades have a large enough radius when used without grenade launchers).

Trivia[]

  • Using an infusion of human DNA, the Sectoid has grown into a much more imposing form than when it was first encountered. They are significantly taller than their Enemy Unknown versions, and now have a visible mouth with teeth. They are still fairly thin though, and their chest still glows. Sectoids use wrist-mounted blasters that are similar to the Plasma Pistols of the original Sectoids, but smaller and seemingly designed for use on the arm instead of merely mounted there. The blasters are handled by the Sectoids in a similar fashion to the original Sectoid Commanders, using them as "last-resort" weaponry when psionic chances are too low or impossible.
  • Like several other creatures of XCOM 2, the new design of the Sectoid is a throwback to the classic X-COM: UFO Defense. The most evident characteristics are the more humanoid posture, greater resemblance to the classic "grey aliens" and addition of facial features. The Sectoid also incorporates certain parts of the Enemy Unknown design, such as the glowing chest and wrist-mounted weapon.
  • As stated in a "NotDog" commercial in XCOM: Chimera Squad, hot dogs and chicken eggs are poisonous to Sectoids. Other in game dialogue implies that sectoids cannot eat meat or dairy products.
  • For alternative versions of this enemy in other XCOM games, see: Sectoid.

See Also[]

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