Drifters are small flying aliens. The commander places a drifter egg (8 team res, 5 supply), which hatches after 7 s.
What drifters do#
- Grow structures. Alien structures build themselves, but slowly: on their own they take ×2 their build time. A drifter growing one makes it take ×0.8 instead. Gorges can also build by healing. Idle drifters look for unbuilt structures within 12 m.
- Scout. Drifters see marines and report them.
- Cast abilities (below). They cost team res and each needs a hive type.
Cyst chains. When a drifter finishes growing a cyst and has no other orders, it moves on to the closest unbuilt, connected cyst within 33 m. A single drifter can grow out a long cyst chain without being re-ordered.
Abilities#
| Ability | Hive | Cost | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|
 Enzyme | Shift Hive | 2 | 3 s |
 Mucous Membrane | Crag Hive | 2 | 3 s |
 Hallucination Cloud | Shade Hive | 2 | 12 s |
Enzyme#
A cloud (6.5 m) that lasts 3 s. Aliens inside attack 25% faster, and keep the boost for 2.3 s after leaving. A skulk bite, a fade swipe and an onos gore all get faster.
Mucous Membrane#
A cloud (5 m) that gives every alien unit inside a shield worth 20% of its max health for 5 s. Pulse grenades strip the shield.
Hallucination Cloud#
Creates hallucinations, fake copies of the aliens and drifters within 8 m, that last 30 s. Hallucinations look real on marine screens but have only 20% of the health. They draw fire, trigger mines and hide your real onos in a crowd.
Hive bonuses#
Each hive type also gives drifters a passive bonus: Shift Hive (Celerity, faster movement), Shade Hive (Camouflage), Crag Hive (Regeneration).
See also#
Alien commander abilities · MAC (marine equivalent) · Cyst