Runner

OFFENCE
Runner	Difficulty: Hard Supervisors: Queen Rank: Not defined Duties: Capture and harass prey. Guides: N/A Unlock Requirements: Not available. Detailed Description: |__________| Not defined |__________|

Playing a Runner

As a Runner your job is to attack isolated prey and secure more hosts for the hive. You are the fastest Alien but you are also the weakest, in terms of health and attacking power, and so must use your speed to your advantage.

Runners are hit and run experts. They are the fastest of all alien castes, but also the weakest. A few well-aimed shots will bring down a Runner, which means it is important for the Runners to hunt in packs.

Runners serve best at harassing round start survivors, who are ill equipped to fend you off, or hunting isolated Marines. They can also operate well during larger conflicts in harassing and infecting wounded and retreating Marines, especially those that may get cut off from the rest of their squad. Runners are not effective in direct combat as their low health means they'll die very quickly to someone with any firearm.

The Runner starts with the Pounce ability as soon as it evolves from a larva. This ability allows a Runner to close distance with Hosts quickly, and will knock a Host to the ground if aimed to hit them.

Runner Evolution

After consuming some Royal Jelly (created by the Queen) and allowing it to become absorbed by their body, Runners can evolve into a more powerful, larger variant of their caste; the Hunter.

The Hunter gains increased health, and becomes a more focused stealth and ambush fighter. Gaining a cloaking ability, the Hunter becomes a more effective single fighter than a Runner could ever be.

Runner Tactics

• Hunt in a pack! Alone you are weak, but as a group you can overwhelm most small groups of Marines, and any isolated Hosts are easy pickings.

• If you fall below half health (or take ~two hits), flee! Although the other Aliens may not agree at times, you are a valuable part of the hive. Find some weeds, heal up, and find a pack to hunt with.

• Your Pounce ability can be very formidable if you're carrying Facehuggers. Once the Host has been stunned you can hit them with two Facehuggers to incapacitate them. However, be wary of any other Hosts in the area, they can kill you faster than you can click twice. If you drag the unfortunate Host away from their comrades, you can devour them (grab, then click on yourself) to return them to a nice, snug, nest.

• When you evolve from a larva, you keep your Crawl Through Vent ability. Use this to your advantage, there are a number of vents placed around the Nexus, use them as a quick escape if you're in danger, or use them to stalk Hosts while keeping to shadowy areas.

• If you find yourself assaulting the Sulaco, try to escape the shuttle as quickly as possible. Your low health prevents you from being much use during the Hangar assault, so find a vent and move to a less populated area. If you're lucky, there should be unarmoured civilian personnel that you can infect quickly.