Tiberian fiend

The Tiberian fiend is a Tiberium-based lifeform appearing in Tiberian Sun and the Firestorm mission pack. They are vicious ambush predators that live within dense Tiberium fields.
==Background==
Tiberium fiends are one of the many indigenous Earth species (humans aside) that have suffered some degree of Tiberium mutation. They are large, doglike animals that stand about the size of a large horse or a small elephant, and have blackish-brown or red skin, although that is usually completely covered by Tiberium crystals growing on its back. Although canine-like in overall form, the resemblance is superficial. They hide in Tiberium fields and are perfectly camouflaged from visual detection thanks to the Tiberium crystals growing on their hides. The fiends are highly territorial, and will attack anything that passes too close to their domain.
===Physiology===
A Tiberian fiend's back is coated with a dense mat of pure Tiberium crystals, which serves two purposes. Firstly, it allows them to conceal themselves within a Tiberium field. Secondly, the fiends can launch shards of this Tiberium at enemies. The shards easily puncture and lacerate infantry and even vehicular armour, and cause Tiberium poisoning.
As a Tiberium-based lifeform, Tiberian fiends heal while standing in Tiberium.
===Psychology===
Tiberium fiends are extremely aggressive and territorial. They will attack anything that is not affiliated with their pack that comes into their territory the moment they become aware of it, regardless of whether the intrusion was intentional. In cases where the packs are threatened, they will face the threat head-on with the single-minded intent to kill or be killed in defense of the pack.
They are ambush predators, lying in wait for their prey and then pouncing on it at the last second. They lurk in and around Tiberium fields, the crystals on their backs enabling them to blend seamlessly with their environment and rendering them invisible to the untrained eye. They will also burrow into Tiberium fields, making it impossible to tell whether patches of the crystal are unoccupied until it's too late.
However, they are apparently intelligent enough to recognize acts of kindness, and the Forgotten have used this to great advantage in domesticating them to the point of being just aggressive enough to serve as watchdogs.Pannullo, Patrick, Joseph Selinske, and David Lamoreaux. Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun - Firestorm: Instruction Manual. Las Vegas, Nevada: Westwood Studios, 1999.
==Game unit==
Tiberium fiends are unusable units that seemingly come out of nowhere and attack with impunity, using ambush and swarm tactics to overwhelm and destroy the units of unsuspecting players. Since they are much more resilient and powerful than most infantry units, it's generally considered smart for players to keep their own away from them and retaliate with anti-infantry vehicles or provoke them into giving chase and drawing them within range of anti-infantry defenses. They can be crushed by vehicles heavy enough to do so.
==Gallery==
Fs Blue Tiberian fiend.png|Blue Tiberian fiends from mission Dogma Day Afternoon
==References==
Category:Tiberian Sun infantry
Category:Tiberium lifeforms