Infestation is the organic carpet that spreads from hives, cysts and a few other alien sources.
Sources#
| Source | Radius |
|---|---|
| Hive | 20 m |
| Cyst | 7.5 m |
| Tunnel ends | 7.5 m |
| Other alien structures | 2 m |
| Contamination | temporary |
Cysts only spread infestation while their chain is connected to a hive. Infestation grows outward over time and recedes when its source dies or is disconnected.
What it does#
For aliens
- Harvesters, hydras, chambers, crags, shifts, shades, whips and tunnels must be built on infestation. Structures that lose it start taking damage (2% of max health per second, at least 20).
- Gorges slide faster on it.
For marines
- Sprinting on infestation is slower (5 m/s instead of 5.75).
- Marine structures standing on infestation have their armor corroded (30 per second) and are built at 75% speed.
- Infestation is a clear sign the aliens own a room.
Fighting infestation#
Kill the cyst chain closest to the hive side and everything beyond it is cut off. Flamethrowers and cluster grenades burn cysts quickly.
Infestation follows the floor. Infestation spreads along connected floor, not through walls and floors, so a cyst only infests the room it is actually in. Generated cyst chains stay on upward-facing surfaces, and the commander's cyst range guide shows the real coverage as a hex grid (green: covered, red: blocked). Players can turn the hex guide off under Options > Mods.
See also#
Cyst · Hive · Alien commander