10 Early Game Enemies That Came As A Nasty Surprise

Ask anyone who has completed XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Impossible Ironman which enemy type they hate the most and nine out of ten people will name the Thin Man.

When first encountered these aliens, with their lanky physiques, dapper suits and rubber-legged gymnastics, can seem vaguely comical. Well, not for long.

While no more accurate than Sectoids, those funny-looking gymnastics allow them to quickly get onto roofs, granting a deadly aim bonus. Hunker down and they’ll spit poison. Stay hunkered down and their long movement range will put them on a flank you were certain was secure.

And it gets worse, much worse. It is a near certainty that players will encounter Thin Men on their first Council Mission, and Murphy’s Law applying, that mission will be a bomb disposal.

With their tight time-limit these missions force fast movement, which activates more pods, and before you know it your four-man, poorly equipped rookie squad is dealing with six or more Thin Men. For new players, that is a guaranteed squad-wipe.

Sectopods may be biggest thing you’ll face, and Chryssalids might the creepiest, but Thin Men are, by far, the most intimidating.