Freemage wrote:The army walked in and out precisely because they did NOT try to 'beat' them. They hunkered down, did only purely defensive maneuvers, and deliberately stuck to non-lethal attacks. No death scent to trigger swarming, no hostile activities likely to further enrage the Xitixic, and sticking strictly to ground-based action--no flights.
Had they not done that, then the army would, indeed, have been wiped out to the last. So saying they 'beat' the Xitixic is a willful misreading of the book--they SURVIVED the Xitixic, in a way that will not be of any help whatsoever when the hives start encroaching upon CS territory--there, the only option will be to engage or to retreat.
And the reason this worked as well as it did is because it was an unknown unknown. Virtually every encounter with the bugs has been hostile in nature, and has thus led to an escalation, with the Xitixic coming out on top. The CS can't use Jones' strategy to deal with the Xitixic, because it leaves the hives fully intact.
In cases where the CS are forced to kill or accidentally deplete over 90% MDC, critics should remember it is "up to" 4 miles. This probably means with optimal conditions, like the breeze blowing it toward you and it freshly happening. There is no minimim range that I can see so it is up to the GM how reactive it is.
There is also no swarm people allude to. The scent makes bgs come investigate. By the time they catch the scent the killers could be gone.
It is also plausible to get a super SAMAS to carry corpses at low alttitude elsewhere to detract pursuers from the slower forces.
I think people imagine Xiticix as incapable of retreating. XI17 says they instinctively use the best strategy and fleeing when hurt against opponents who aren't initiating aggression is the best strategy.
HWalsh wrote:
I've PLAYED Rifts. The Xitcitix are MDC creatures and things like Warriors and Super Warriors *will* attack them. Not only do the books NOT explain how they did it, but to believe that they never killed one single Xitcitix, which is all it would take, that they never got near a hive, that they never came into contact with a single patrol that got away... No. Not just no. Heck no.
Read the Xitcitix Invasion. What they did, using the tactics you outlined, would NEVER have worked. Not only that but they wouldn't have "made it out the other side" if they hunkered down. They would have been holding position, which they didn't do. These guys did a forced march right through the Xitcitix Hivelands and didn't rile up the hives. Uh huh... No.
Try knocking out an MDC creature. Go ahead. I'll wait.
Didn't work so well did it?
Knocking out isn't necessary. Just keeping them at bay. Except when going crazy when all the queens are killed off tell me where it talks about them not being capable of retreat and being compelled to fight to the death?
Except for the ones with TK rifles most will be outclassed by your basic SAMAS in range and would strategically retreat once they realized they were outmatched in firepower and speed.
Swarming isn't their only tactic. They use it when it works but not when it doesn't.