Harridan

The Harridans is one of the four types of support aliens. In missions with their participation, they will not be as numerous as the main alien species. Harridans have no preference in which main alien species to accompany. They appear in the middle of the game, and continue to encounter until the end of the game, including the last mission. The main feature of Harridans is their ability to fly.

In-Game

Harridans are very often armed with a long-range weapon, coupled with the ability to occupy heights, they act as first-class snipers. They will try to go as far and higher as possible to conduct their sniper fire, as a result, it is difficult to get to them, especially if you do not have access to jetpack technology, or there are other aliens between you and the Harridans. In particularly difficult situations, they can use bugs and fly into parts of the map (For example, there are such places outside battleships), from where there are no direct lines of fire to them, but they can conduct their own sniper fire. However, their flight sometimes puts them in an awkward position - sometimes they remain in a state of flight, from where they cannot return fire and are absolutely open to your soldiers.

Also, despite the fact that on the roofs of houses on which they will potentially try to climb there are many covers such as ventilation shafts and air conditioning units, as well as various sides, roofs and other heights are not uncommon without covers at all, or harridans themselves do not use them.

Tactics against harridans

The first thing that is recommended to do in the fight against Harridans is to take shelter. Use smoke grenades - this will give you an extra move to start attacking. One of the most accessible ways to fight the Harridans is their own weapons, namely your snipers. Taking advantage of their often vulnerable position, you can deal with them with accurate shots. Suppression fire will also be very effective - after firing, they will almost always prefer to escape. Your stormtroopers can also easily destroy Harridans, if they have enough AP to shorten the distance and deliver a fatal shot from a carbine.  The use of explosives is not recommended because it can destroy the equipment carried by the alien.

Autopsy Data

A Harridan stands roughly 170cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall. They are mysterious foes, head and chest encased within an armoured shell and the rest of their body covered by a jumpsuit. They are delicate and slender in stature, with unusually long limbs. Armed with long-range weapons and a jetpack integrated into their armour, they almost certainly serve as the alien marksmen.

The armour of this creature formed as much of the autopsy as the body itself, as we found much to suggest it was not designed to be removed. There is evidence of an advanced rebreather system in the helmet that, coupled with the jumpsuit, would allow the creature to operate in any environment up to a hard vacuum.  A blood filtration unit in the chest actually forms part of the Harridan circulatory system, pumping the blood around the body whilst filtering out excreta and other waste products. The helmet includes powerful cameras capable of viewing almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum, giving the alien long sight ranges and excellent situational awareness.

The jump pack integrated into the rear of the armour is effectively a miniaturised version of the same thrusters used on UFOs. The control system is a neural network - i.e. plugged directly into the creature's brain. This almost certainly allows them to operate their thrusters (and probably receive sensor information) subconsciously. I believe these creatures are actually the alien engineer caste; they are completely unaffected by a vacuum and can maneuver around in space using their thrusters, allowing them to work on the exterior of a spaceborne UFO just as easily as the interior.

The alien beneath the armour bears some resemblance to a Caesan, possessing the same pallid grey skin, oversize black eyes and frail bone structure. A common ancestor is likely, but they have diverged significantly since - clearest in the lengthened forearms, drooping ears and bony spurs on either side of the creature's mouth. However, the largest difference is cerebral. The Caesan has an oversize brain with enhanced cognitive development structures; i.e. social hierarchies, memory recall, complex thought. The Harridan instead has enhanced structures in more basic areas; motor control, spatial awareness, visual analysis. It is an idiot savant, specialised into flight control and tool usage (unfortunately for us, a sniper rifle is ultimately just another type of tool).

Interrogation

The Harridan is by some distance the most relaxed of all our captives - indeed, I occasionally wonder if it is even aware of its confinement. The creature is sealed within an armoured suit that cannot be removed without killing it; our holding tank may be the lesser of two prisons.

Performing analysis on the Harridan has been a frustrating experience. It seems largely oblivious to our existence, so attracting its attention and engaging it in evaluatory tests is difficult. Our conclusions so far support the theory that these creatures are savants, demonstrating remarkable manual dexterity and an exceptional ability to process visual / spatial information but little interest in any task that employs higher brain function. Perhaps they see warfare as a simple mechanical task, nothing more than lining up their weapons and pulling the trigger. They may not even be aware that we are living creatures (assuming they are able to grasp the philosophical concept of "life") at all.

It seems these creatures are pitiful living tools, capable of limited emotion and little advanced thought. Ultimately this does not make them any less effective battlefield implements; they are still superb marksmen and have excellent sight ranges. In an attempt to even the odds, we have summarised the most vulnerable areas of the Harridan armoured suit in a document and issued it to your men. This should boost their damage against this species by approximately ten percent.

Ranks, characteristics and available equipment

• Soldier
• Warrior
• Elite
• Officer

Soldier harridan on the battlefield

Action Points	60
Resilience	80
Strength	50
Accuracy	70
Reflexes	80
Bravery	50

Weapon (All possible)	Others
Alien Rifle Alien Sniper Alien Plasma Cannon	Alien Plasma Cell

Warrior harridan on the battlefield

Action Points	63
Resilience	120
Strength	50
Accuracy	75
Reflexes	85
Bravery	55

Weapon (All possible)	Others
Alien Rifle Alien Sniper Alien Plasma Cannon	Alien Plasma Cell Alien Grenade

Elite harridan on the battlefield

Action Points	68
Resilience	180
Strength	50
Accuracy	80
Reflexes	90
Bravery	60

Weapon (All possible)	Others
Alien Sniper Alien Plasma Cannon	Alien Plasma Cell Advance Alien Grenade

Officer harridan on the battlefield

Action Points	65
Resilience	120
Strength	50
Accuracy	75
Reflexes	85
Bravery	60

Weapon (All possible)	Others
Alien Sniper Alien Plasma Cannon	Alien Plasma Cell Alien Grenade

Gallery

Autopsy

Live Captive