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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Tentaculats


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I've played Terror From the Deep about 5-6 years ago for the last time, and I did play "chicken" style (reload every now and than). But not long ago I've accidently found your forums and after having read it a little, I decided to replay this game once again in a no-reload style. I want to thank you, folks, that you've encouraged me to try this amazing experience. :-)

So, I've started a campaign in DOS TftD v2 (under DOSBox) on second easiest difficulty, because I thought, no-reload Superhuman was a little bit too harsh for me, though I'm looking foward it, when I get some experience. With many strategy tips and tricks I've found on these forums (thanks again) I've managed pretty well so far.

But Tentacults, especialy in closed quarters, seemed to be one of the biggest threats in the game, and I haven't seen any advises on them collected in one thread. So I'd like people to share experience of dealing with these bastards and post some tips and ideas how to kill with them more effectively and with less loses.

I thought that Tentaculats will quickly kill my tank, but to my great surprise, they were completely unable to do any damage to my Sonic Displacer. Even with only 10 health left (after sonic attacks) it has survived many Tentaculat attacks without a scratch. I wonder, is this because I'm playing on 2nd easiest level? Are Superhuman Tentaculats dangerous for HWPs?

In open places Tentaculats aren't anything special, as long as you spot them in time. Spot them with tanks, kill with aimed Sonic Cannon fire from a distance.

But in closed quarters, like Artifact Site 2nd level they give trouble. You can't rely on long-range fire here. You can relatively easily and quickly kill other aliens with melee weapons, but Tentaculats often hide above and you can't use Vibroblades on them. Also, your soldiers usually spot them when they are close - so if you don't kill them on this turn, they WILL come to you and turn you to zombie. You can't use Vibroblades, and Sonic Cannons are too slow, so Sonic Pistols are preferred for that. Or use a tank, if it can survive the attacks.

So, do Tentaculats penetrate Displacer armor on higher difficulties?

Any other tips on fighting Tentaculats?

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I can confirm that tentaculats are pussies vs displacer tanks on Superhuman. Normal tanks aren't so good, but at least they only die, and not make zombies.

 

Without this my Ironman S/H game would have been harder.

 

But even then I also have a couple of high MC skill (100+) trooper that can MC them so I can avoid taking hits that way.

 

If in doubt liberal amounts of High Exposive in their general areas also functions well

 

But mostly I use Sonic displacers. For the central room in the artefact sites I use a PW displacer backed up by a sonic Displacer, then no human has to enter the room with all the tentaculats anyway.

 

I suspect most guys here do something similar.

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If you have tanks this is a fine strategy, although I do believe that Tentaculant's can kill tanks as well, perhaps not as easily as a troop but you just loose the nasty bi-product. There are generally 3-5 tentaculants in that central area who seem to know exactly the right moment to ambush you, so generally because of their high TU's though tanks make great scouts who can dart in and back out quickly.

 

I've found myself in a game where I got artifact sites before I had the DPL or the Displacers. M.C. was also off limits for me, just because it makes the game too easy IMO. So I would just use a really weak soldier that I was going to fire anyways to run in and then back out of the chamber. Doing this would "trigger" the tentaculants into action who would swim down through one of the entrances to find a firing squad with full TU's waiting to ambush it (soldiers with exceptionally high reactions were of course the ones waiting). Occasionally my soldiers would freeze up and let the rookie fall, or even worse yet, the tentaulant would head straight for the firing squad! This strategy worked fine for me though and generally I could deal with all the Tentaculants in that room this way without a casualty, the trick is to find the "trigger" point where the tentaculant will go into action.

 

Once I have DPL though, I just bring about 5 of them on an artifact site and lob a charge into every nook and cranny in there. DPL makes artifact sites a whole lot safer =b .

Edited by testarossa
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DPL makes artifact sites a whole lot safer  =b .

 

Oh yeah and them some :D

 

I too had to brave the inside of the Artefact site before Displacers - If I recall I led the way with a normal tank (this is how I found they can't get up the stairs !)

 

The torpedo tank can kill itself if caught in its own torpedo bloast, so care is needed (guess how I found that out..).

 

Too much role-playing earlier in life has made me reluctant to sacrifice my people, but incompetence can still strike...

 

Before DPL I think I entered the base and retreated, can't remember. Its always better to do this than not go to the site as the score penalties are lower.

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  • 1 month later...
tanks or no tanks nothing beats good room checking/clearing tactics. First in base missions DO NOT rush into a room even if the device your there to destroy is nearby. Keep your cool, listen during the enemy's turn, and check your sixes and corners carefully. They love to hide in hard to see places and in corners especoally above and below you. They usually don't fight you if you have a group unless it's confident it can get one or more of your guys during the remainder of it's TUs. Be smart...Nade hard to see areas, move in loose formations but not too loose that you welcome attacks and like they said above when possible PWT the frack out of the area!! The only reason I don't do it that way is I have a fetish for capturing live lobstermen even if I don't need them (don't ask me about it). Edited by Outlawstar15a2
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  • 6 months later...
  • 2 months later...

I'm a firm believer in Overkill against tentaculats.

 

Eradicate them, annihilate them, and blow them to smithereens with the DPL.

 

DPL ammunition is cheaper to replace than your average elite soldier (those that you tackle artifact sites with, anyway), and it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling when I blindly launch four displacer torpedos into the central chamber of an artifact site, into those damn alcoves where they usually sit and hear the gurgled death cries of a tentaculat.

 

Boooom!

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When possible, I'll use a tank or DPL, but sometimes I use a "line" of troopers: enter one agent into the room with as many agents providing cover with full TUs as possible. Usually, if the agents are decent, they'll all take sufficient reaction fire to cover the one agent flushing out the hideous brains. :-)

 

God I HATE tentaculats...

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  • 1 year later...
I can confirm that tentaculats are pussies vs displacer tanks on Superhuman. Normal tanks aren't so good, but at least they only die, and not make zombies.

 

Without this my Ironman S/H game would have been harder.

 

But even then I also have a couple of high MC skill (100+) trooper that can MC them so I can avoid taking hits that way.

 

If in doubt liberal amounts of High Exposive in their general areas also functions well

 

But mostly I use Sonic displacers. For the central room in the artefact sites I use a PW displacer backed up by a sonic Displacer, then no human has to enter the room with all the tentaculats anyway.

 

I suspect most guys here do something similar.

 

 

come on lets nukem all wiht pulce disrrupters i just nuke that area before enter

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  • 1 month later...

Displacers have 130 armor and only take 80% damage from melee attacks. IIRC, Tentaculats have an attack strength of 80, same as vibroblades.

 

80*2 = 160 max damage

160*0.8 = 128 max damage after resistance

 

Looks like they can indeed not even scratch the paint of displacer tanks.

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