Hi!
I would want to ask a question and for any opinion if you have seen the same.
In my first games, xenomorphs were lethal. It was easy that one xenomorph could kill one player or even two in a combat situation.
Now after some games, like good humans and "social animals", players have evolved and I am seeing thet they can kill a xenomorph in a round, sometimes the xenomorph can't act at all. Usually, they follow this strategy:
- They never split up the group. They (and me) have seen many horror movies and know that splitting is a fatal mistake. Additionally, it's not difficult to know when a combat could be near.
- When the combat begins, If they can, they exchange initiative orders giving the first card they have to the brave character (see below) who usually goes first in the group.
- One brave character (there is always one according to the agendas) throws to combat against the xenomorph using the cutting torch. If the xenomorph goes first, the character always blocks with the cutting torch and usually he/she blocks the attack (good close combat, 8 for example, plus some stress points, 2 or 3, for a total 11 dice really works).
- The other characters surround the xenomorph like a group of mobsters and open fire. They have discovered the powerful watatsumi bolt gun and, in general, any weapon with "armor piercing" capability. If they can't, the brave one uses the cutting torch which has "armor piercing" too. They break the alien and with a bit of luck and a good die roll, they kill the monster. As I have said before, they can do it in a round.
I don't know if I am doing something wrong, with the text above, now I am not sure about the following:
- Do you block the successes (easier) or the damage (more difficult)? I understand reading the rules ("Decrease Damage", page 92) that you remove one xenomorph success for one defender success (that is, you are not reducing damage of the atack), so it's easier for the defender.
- Is the "armor piercing" capability used against xenomorph armor? I understand yes, but I admit that, in the tables, the armor is halved "against fire". Is it only against fire or any "armor piercing" halves the alien armor?
Or maybe I have to counter this strategy with other strategies. I think about retreating, but being sincere fleeing is not too much proper for an alien.