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Phoenix Point enemies - how to counter the Siren, Chiron, Scylla, and more

How to counter even the most overpowered Phoenix Point enemies

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Guide by Ollie Toms Guides Editor
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Phoenix Point enemies are quite the colourful bunch of mutants. Each one is a patchwork of arthropod, annelid, human, and alien DNA all rolled into one by the Pandoravirus; and each enemy has different strengths and presents different threats - some far more than others.

In this Phoenix Point enemies guide we'll walk you through each Pandoran enemy in turn, along with detailed sections on how to counter the Siren, Terror Sentinel, Chiron, and Scylla - four enemies that seem to be giving players a great deal of trouble.

Phoenix Point enemies guide contents:

Phoenix Point enemies

Phoenix Point enemies

Phoenix Point is a tough, punishing game, even by the standards of the genre - and this is at least partially down to the fact that even the most basic enemy can spell disaster for your squad (or at least one of your soldiers) if left unchecked.

The following is a full list of every Pandoran enemy in the game (we won't be covering the faction enemies because their units are all the same soldiers and classes the player uses - for more info on this check out our Phoenix Point Classes guide):

  • Arthron - Also called the "crabman". Uses a poison spit attack, as well as two of the following: a heavily armored shield; an assault rifle; a grenade launcher; and a melee claw. High damage, but easy to kill.
  • Triton - Uses shotguns and pistols. High perception means it can shoot from great distances. Tentacles can cause paralysis at melee range. Upon taking damage, will turn invisible and move away several tiles.
  • Mindfragger - Small, easy-to-kill enemy. No range attacks, but if it gets within a few tiles of a soldier it can latch onto the soldier's head and mind-control it until the Mindfragger is destroyed.
  • Worm - Small, easily killed explosive enemies. Come in three varieties: acid, poison, and fire. Each one will apply the relevant status effect in an AoE upon exploding. Kill from a distance.
  • Siren - The worst enemy in the game. Fast, heavily armored, high health pool, and can mind control your units. Also has powerful melee attacks, and its Psychic Scream ability can panic nearby enemies.
  • Chiron - Powerful artillery unit. High health and strong armor. Different type of artillery depending on the type of shell; some launch Worms, others launch goo, others launch explosives. Can also use a melee stomp attack.
  • Scylla (Queen) - The largest unit in the game. Essentially a battleship. Can trample through buildings, lay Mindfraggers, deploy mist, launch goo, and has powerful melee and ranged attacks. Very high health and very strong armor. Found in Pandoran Citadels and in certain mid-to-late-game missions.
  • Egg - Eggs lie dormant until they are attacked or they sense nearby enemies. After a preparation turn it will hatch into either a Mindfragger or a Worm. Coordinate attacks to kill an egg before it hatches.
  • Mist Sentinel - A living structure of sorts, deploys mist in an area around it when threatened. Easy to kill, not much of a threat at all.
  • Hatching Sentinel - Much like a Mist Sentinel, but when threatened will "Mass Hatch" all nearby eggs. Only found in Pandoran Nests.
  • Terror Sentinel - The most dangerous Sentinel by far. High health, and when threatened will Psychic Scream in a large radius around it, drastically lowering your units' WPs and potentially causing them to panic.
  • Hatchery - Only found in Pandoran Lairs. Completely passive structure, must be destroyed in order to complete Pandoran Lair missions.

As your campaign progresses and you grow more powerful, so will each of the Pandorans you encounter. And this evolution is also influenced by how you have dealt with them in the past. For example, if you've focused heavily on an Arthron's head in the past you may find that new Arthrons have particularly well-armored heads.

Another important note is that almost all of the main enemies in the game (Arthrons, Tritons, Sirens, Chirons, Scyllas) have access to different "loadouts" of weapons and equipment. One Chiron might spit goo at you, while another may launch Fireworms at you. One Arthron might make use of an assault rifle and a shield, while another has a grenade launcher and a melee claw. You should always check the info screen of an enemy when it arrives to get a good idea of its loadout and capabilities before deciding how to tackle it.

Now we're going to pick four major enemy types that tend to give players lots of trouble, and walk you through the threats they pose and how to deal with them effectively.

How to counter the Siren

The Siren is by far the most dangerous single unit in Phoenix Point, particularly when you come up against multiple at once. It may seem like you have absolutely no chance when three Sirens suddenly show up out of the blue, but it doesn't have to be a foregone conclusion. Here's what you need to know about preparing for and countering the Siren enemy:

  • Sirens are mid-game units that tend to appear after your first six or more missions. This gives you plenty of time to prepare by equipping your troops with the right weapons and abilities.
  • The key to defeating Sirens is to keep out of their effective range for as long as it takes to kill them. Never let it get into a position where it doesn't have to move next turn before mind-controlling your units, and space out your troops to make sure it can never mind-control two of your units in the same turn.
  • Because of its high armor, single-shot high-damage weapons are the way to go. This means sniper rifles and Heavy Cannons. Later on you can also use shotguns and armor-piercing weapons to great effect.
  • If you're expecting a Siren to appear, make good use of Overwatch with your sniper units - particularly if you've given them Extreme Focus so Overwatch only takes 2 APs instead of 3.
  • Focus the Siren's head first. Destroying it will take away a tonne of its Will Points (making it harder to mind-control your units) and also removes its Psychic Scream ability.
  • Weak Spot and Rage Burst are very useful abilities to use against Sirens. Weak Spot will remove all armor of destroyed body parts, and Rage Burst is a good "kill it quick" ability that can help you regain control when facing multiple high-level units at once.
  • It's not the end of the world if the Siren mind-controls one of your units, as long as you can kill it next turn. But be careful in case the unit it mind-controlled has Return Fire, because that can really cripple your squad if you're not expecting it.

How to counter the Terror Sentinel

The Terror Sentinel is, as its name suggests, pretty terrifying the first time you see it. The first time I saw one, I didn't understand its capabilities, and it single-handedly obliterated my squad by panic-locking everyone while the other enemies cleaned up. This is not an enemy to be taken lightly.

  • Give the Terror Sentinel an extremely wide berth. Thankfully it's easy to spot from a distance, so you should be able to see it from the first one or two turns. Stay as far away as possible until you want to handle it.
  • When you need to destroy a Terror Sentinel, the best way to do it before it can Psychic Scream is to use a Heavy soldier with the Rage Burst ability (for more details check out our Phoenix Point Classes guide!). As long as you position your unit correctly, it'll destroy the Sentinel in a single turn.
  • Only tangle with Terror Sentinels if you really need to. One Rage Burst may be sufficient to take it out, but in combination with other enemies things can quickly spiral out of control. If there's a path to the Hatchery that doesn't take you near the Terror Sentinel, take that path.

How to counter the Chiron

The Chiron is one of the most destructive enemies in Phoenix Point - and, perhaps unexpectedly, also one of the most versatile. Different types of Chiron present different threats to your troops, but they're all dangerous, particularly in combination with other units.

  • When you first see a Chiron, take note of its abdomen type. Does it launch goo, or Fireworms, or acid bombs, or something else? Know your enemy right from the outset.
  • Worm-throwing Chirons are the easiest to deal with. A single soldier with a 1AP pistol can deal with a cluster of worms. Goo is more dangerous, and the bomb-hurling Chirons are by far the worst. They take absolute top priority.
  • No matter what type of Chiron you're against, if you see a Chiron on the battlefield that is your signal to spread your troops out. You don't want them all to be hit at once by goo or explosives or anything else the Chiron throws at you.
  • Because of the Chiron's high armor and health, you should deal with them using many of the same methods as you would for a Siren. High-damage single-shot weapons, armor-piercing rounds, and so on.
  • If you've got a Berserker, then arm it with grenades and use its Armor Break ability before throwing the grenade. The extra 50 Shred will apply to every damaged part, absolutely crippling the Chiron's armor.
  • Rage Burst is, again, the insurance "boss-killer" ability - and because of the size of the Chiron, you can easily use it from a distance. A full round of sniper rifle or heavy cannon shots will obliterate a Chiron.

How to counter the Scylla (Queen)

The Scylla is definitely the scariest-looking enemy in the game - a massive boss creature that spans multiple tiles and can charge through entire buildings. Its weapons are many and its armor is nearly impenetrable if you're not prepared for it. But stick to these tips and you'll find that the Queen of the Pandorans is actually quite the pushover.

  • The Scylla's downfall is its size. Like the Chiron, it can easily be targeted from a distance. But obviously, you'll need to use the correct tools for the job, or you won't even make a dent in its high health pool.
  • The main thing is to kill the Scylla as quickly as possible before it has a chance to wreak havoc and lay tonnes of Mindfraggers. Scyllas become much harder to deal with when there are many enemies about.
  • The very best thing to use against the Scylla is (predictably) Rage Burst. Equip your Rage Burst character with a Heavy Cannon, Gauss Machine Gun, or a good sniper rifle; position them right in front of the Scylla, and watch its health melt away.
  • The Berserker-Shred-Grenade method is also very powerful against the Scylla. Much like the Chiron, the Scylla has lots of heavily armored parts, so an armor-shredding grenade will help make it much more vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
  • Don't be afraid to get up close and personal with the Scylla. Problems occur if you allow the Scylla to retreat, so it's a good idea to actively body-block them by surrounding them with your troops - which also allows you to make use of powerful close-range attacks like Shotguns.

Phoenix Point Mindfragger

How to counter the Mindfragger

Finally, a brief word on the Mindfragger. I'm fully aware that the Mindfragger is nowhere near as great a threat as any of the other enemies on this list, but I wanted to highlight a couple of things that many players may have trouble with at first:

  • If a Mindfragger manages to latch onto one of your units, then you'll need to destroy it to free your soldier. Shooting it with burst weapons will almost certainly damage your soldier too, so the best thing to use is a single-shot weapon such as a pistol or sniper rifle.
  • But the absolute best method that not many players realise is to simply Bash the Mindfragger at melee range. Walk up to the possessed soldier; click Bash; click the Mindfragger icon above your action bar, and then confirm the Bash. Remember that third part, or you'll just end up hitting your own soldier.

Phoenix Point enemies guide

So hopefully now you've gained a better idea of how to level up your troops and what abilities to bring to the fight to defeat these powerful Pandorans - but why stop now when you can have a look at some of our other guides? We're hard at work creating an entire series of top-tier guides on every aspect of this ambitious new turn-based tactics game, so be sure to check out the links below for more tips and strategies to get you started!

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