Warrior (caste)

* Standard
* Domed
* Carved
* Stegos
* Ceratos
* Diabolus
* Trilos
* Evolved

## Warrior

The **Warrior**, also known as the **Soldier**, is the quintessential Stage 4 Xenomorph and is the typical adult form of the Xenomorph XX121 species. These are the main offensive unit of the hive and appear to be the most numerous caste of any hive. They have shown a great degree of variation in their structure and are extremely formidable creatures. They molt from Drones.

## Characteristics

The average human-spawned Warrior stands around 7 feet and 10 and a half inches tall, though they are known to reach greater heights. Their mesoskeletons are typically black or grey but are also known to come in brown and blue hues as well as a variety of other shades.

The most distinctive feature that separates the Warrior from the Drone is their hard ridged carapace, though this is not always the easiest way to distinguish them. Another notable difference is in the shape of the two castes' feet, the innermost toe on Warriors notably sticks out to the side at a 45-90 degree angle. While not universal, Warriors tend to shed their barbed stingers for serrated blades at the tip of their tails that are more than capable of decapitating an adult human in one swift motion. This tail blade also helps them to swim. Some Warriors develop blade-like structures on their elbows.

The average Warrior no longer possesses the ability to spit acid at their foes, they much prefer getting up close and personal. Being much more robust than the Drones and built to last, with some Warriors continuing to fight even after losing limbs and the capability to walk.

While known to employ ambush tactics and stealth, the Warriors tend to prefer head-on assaults and use large numbers to overwhelm their opponents. Though solitary Warriors have been observed, this is not the norm. They are much stronger than their Drone counterparts and use this strength to their advantage when hunting prey. They also seem to be smarter than the Drones, with some individuals displaying incredible intellect.

Non-human spawned Warriors will tend to look vastly different due to the DNA reflex absorbing some genetic traits of the host during gestation. Non-human spawned Warriors may even have completely different roles in the hive.

## Variants

The Warrior Xenomorph has an extremely wide range of structural variations and mutations, listed below are the known unique variants of the Warrior. More distinct molts of the Warrior are included in the evolution section.

### Cystic Acid enhanced

Warriors born from hosts infused Cystic Acid are enhanced in their strength and resilience. These variants of the Warrior are denoted by a crimson stripe down their carapace. Any of the other variants of the Warrior have the potential to also be Cystic enhanced.

### Warrior Domed

Often confused for a Drone, the Warrior Domed variant are immature Warriors who have yet to shed their domed carapace. The dome becomes much darker and more opaque as it becomes more rigid with age, eventually shattering and revealing the ridged head underneath.

### Warrior Carved

While already possessing a ridged carapace, the variant known as Warrior Carved possesses a much more rugged carapace and overall look. Their carved, ridged head gives them additional ballistic resistance over the standard Warrior.

### Stegos Warrior

Usually appearing in more of a golden-brown coloration, the Stegos Warrior possesses an armored carapace with a blunt horn at the front. The large armored carapace expands into a small crest and possesses protruding structures over the more vulnerable sections of the neck to guard them against injury.

### Ceratos Warrior

The Ceratos Warrior is very similar to the Stegos Warrior but is much more rugged and spikey in nature and possesses a larger more formidable horn. The neck guard structures are replaced by tusks that jut forward. It is possible that the Ceratos Warrior is a development of the Stegos Warrior.

#### Diabolus Warrior

Known Diabolus Warriors possess the golden-brown coloration of some other variants but their carapace is vastly different. They possess large blunt foreheads and armored carapaces with four tube-like structures protruding out the back of the crest.

### Trilos Warrior

The Trilos Warrior possesses an armored frill-like crest covering its carapace that is a deep black color. They also possess a backward-facing hook-like horn as well as jagged structures on the side of the head.

### Acid Alien

Acid Aliens possess a reddish-brown coloration and for the most part, looked like a normal Warrior. They lacked the normal indentations in the skull of a Warrior and also had no dorsal spines. Their skull was also much more elongated than standard Warriors, and their ridges possessed a distinct pattern. As their name suggests, they were capable of spitting acid.

### Evolved Warrior

As a Xenomorph hive grows in size, on occasion, a Warrior will mutate into a unique type of its own. Highly adaptable, these creatures are often mistaken for a standard Warrior until it is too late for their enemies. Some of them are able to spray acid at close range onto multiple enemies at once, others can camouflage their mesoskeleton to blend into their surroundings to leap upon their foes, and some of them are even able to heal the most grievous of wounds almost instantly.

These Evolved Warriors, also known as Lucky Dip Aliens, are slightly larger than their standard counterparts and only have one pair of dominant dorsal spines with the other pair short and stubby. They are believed to be an evolutionary dead-end and once their metamorphosis has finished, it will change no more after that. It is theorized that their evolution is due to an immediate need that the hive requires, but not as a long term creation. Each one is different and there is no way to determine what capabilities it has until it has displayed them.

### Onslaught Genome

While not a variant in its own right, some Warriors can activate the Onslaught Genome at the behest of a Queen, allowing them to evolve to become more suitable for heavy assaults. They become physically stronger and extremely ballistic resistant, as well as greatly improving their regenerative capabilities to the point that they can completely regenerate lost limbs. It is possible the Onslaught Genome has some connection to the Evolved Warriors.

### Sewer mutation

Mutated by microwave radiation, the sewer mutation Warriors were a sickly yellow color and resembled the Carved Warrior variant in appearance.

## Evolution

Much like their wide variations in structure and purpose, the Warriors also have perhaps the greatest evolutionary potential of any Xenomorph variety. Their evolutions branch out into various hive roles and can even molt into the beginnings of a Queen. Below are the known evolutions of the human-spawned Warrior.

* Boiler — An old and diseased kamikaze mutation of the Warrior.
* Burrower — A support caste for assisting in the creation of hives.
* Hive Warrior — A Stage 5 variant of the Warrior, built to defend hives.
* Razor Claws — A Stage 5 variant of the Warrior caused by a malfunction in the cocoon.
* Royal Guard — A young Praetorian and the first step towards a Queen.
* Smasher — A more robust battering ram variant of the Warrior.
* Spinner — A heavily armored assault caste.