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Aliens: Fireteam Elite Xenomorph Enemy Guide - Every Type And How To Kill Them

Here's a rundown of every Xenomorph type you'll fight in Aliens: Fireteam Elite.

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The original double-jaw killing machine, there's no shortage of Xenomorphs roaming the corridors, air vents, and ancient alien ruins of Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Here's a look at just how many variants you'll face throughout the game. For more guides, be sure to check out our Aliens: Fireteam Elite guide roundup.

Facehuggers

The original 1979 nightmare fuel, Facehuggers may be fleshy obstacles that can be taken down with just a few rounds, but they make up for their fragility with speed and guile. They can usually be found in eggs in the later levels, where it's always a good idea to destroy them before they can hatch. Should Facehuggers get loose, though, they'll quickly move towards you and attempt to violate your social space, so keep an eye open for them as even a single one can disrupt a well-organized defense.

Runners

The rank and file variant of the iconic Xenomorph species, Runners are simple-minded cannon fodder that can easily be taken out with a precise burst from a pulse rifle. What the Runners lack in fortitude, they more than make up for in terms of numbers that can easily overwhelm a strike team and a cunning nature that allows them to use their environment to their full advantage. They'll crawl over ceilings, climb walls, and run through your offense to get one last swipe in, while their corpses leave behind an acidic reminder once they expire.

Prowlers

Xenomorph Prowler
Xenomorph Prowler

For a Xenomorph species that features a distinct red carapace, Prowlers are adept at hiding in the shadows. They'll often lurk in the quieter corridors of a level, and if you don't spot one in time, they'll pounce on you and deliver some quick damage. With a chunky health bar, you'll need a full clip of ammo to take one of these predators down, and in combat, they'll use the Runner as cover to close the gap and use a leap attack to finish you off.

Bursters

Every Xenomorph is a ticking time bomb thanks to the acidic blood that pumps through their veins, but Bursters take this idea to a whole new level. With more pressurized bodily fluids, Bursters operate similarly to Runners but explode upon death, leaving a longer-lasting and more damaging puddle of acid behind. Acidic blood from Runners result in minor damage, but Bursters will eat through your health points in no time at all if you're caught in their deathly blast radius.

Drone

A blast from the past, Drones come out of the airlocks and other nearby entry points to stalk your team and hunt them down. While they don't have too much armor, they do have a fairly substantial amount of health points. And once a Drone takes damage, they'll scamper off to an exit point, biding their time until they can strike again. Drones aren't much of a threat for a fireteam that sees them coming, but for any straggling members, they can be an instant death sentence.

Warrior

Xenomorph Warrior
Xenomorph Warrior

The Warrior essentially acts like a Drone that doesn't care too much about self-preservation or finding a hiding spot when it has soaked up a few hundred bullets, as it'll instead charge towards a player and grab them. At this point, you'll have to quickly engage in a mini-game of avoiding its secondary set of jaws or hope that the rest of your team can take it out before it does too much damage.

Spitters

Unlike the majority of Xenomorphs that have a head-first strategy when dealing with hive intruders, Spitters will stick to a distance and fire lethal globs of their acidic fluids at players. Able to take a significant amount of damage, Spitters also make good use of cove,r and if one of their acid bombs connects, it'll leave you in a stumbled state. If the projectile misses, it'll still leave its mark on the ground around you as a temporary trap, so avoid, take cover, and force the Spitter out of hiding with some precise headshots.

Crusher

Big, heavy, and equipped with an armored head crest, Crushers are the tanks of the Xenomorph horde and won't hesitate to rush in and knock players down. Most of their armor is situated around their head, so when this charger appears, distract it with one of your teammates and attack from the rear to quickly burn through its defenses before it smashes yours.

Praetorian

Xenomorph Praetorian
Xenomorph Praetorian

The pinnacle of the Xenomorph species, Praetorians serve multiple roles in a hive that range from royal guard to army commander. In Aliens: Fireteam Elite, that role is to utterly smash through any resistance, a job that they're frighteningly well-equipped for. Praetorians have the thickest armor, do incredible amounts of damage, and will shrug off any attacks until they're close enough to lunge towards you. The only way to halt them is with special attacks from certain Marine classes, incendiary ammo, and drones that highlight weak points, allowing for a fireteam to concentrate fire and cut these deadly giants down to size.

Alien Queen

Don't gawk, don't engage, and save your ammo. You'll only encounter a Queen once in the game, as the end of the campaign will unleash the Xenomorph matriarch towards you. Don't try to fight it, as the Queen is invulnerable and will knock you down with a single swipe. There's no power-loader suit nearby, so all you can do is run. Remember, you don't have to be faster than the queen, but you do have to be faster than the rest of your team.

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