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Movement Tactics

Against the long-range weaponry of the Marine and Predator, often the Alien's only hope is to outrun foes and scamper away to safety. It would come as no surprise, then, that as an effective Alien player, you're biggest emphasis should be on control and movement. Become comfortable with the controls, especially strafing and wall climbing. There will be many situations when the only chance you have of surviving is how fast you can run up a wall.

Speed Advantage
One of the biggest assets to the Alien player is speed. These guys are fast … very fast. Throughout the single-player game, you'll often have little trouble just doing circle strafes around Marines and civilians - they won't be able to even keep up with you. Your speed advantage should also be used in hit-and-run tactics. Hide in a corner of the room (or better, on a wall or the ceiling) and strike when the enemy is not paying attention. Frequently, Marines patrol around the area, walking through a set of waypoints. If you wait around long enough, the Marine turns around, exposing his blind side to attack. Approach quickly; perform any attack to eliminate the enemy quickly.

Don't forget the biggest use of the Alien's speed advantage - running away. Frequently, you'll enter an area where the opposition might be too overwhelming. Use that advantage to high tail it out of that area; many enemies you find in an area don't even necessarily need to be killed. Speed past them. Fighting isn't always the answer, especially when you are as frail as the Alien.

Element of Surprise
Whether in a multiplayer game or progressing through one of the single-player levels, you'll find many opportunities to pounce on someone, computer- or human-controlled. With the Alien's ability to walk on walls and ceilings, combined with the distinct speed advantage, you should have little trouble sneaking up on foes.

Because the Alien cannot collect medkits, the only way to regenerate health is through the consumption of enemy bodies (specifically with the jaw attack to the enemy cranium… gruesome, but it's only a game). Sneak attacks, then, are vital to the Alien's survival. Pulling off the jaw attack on an alerted enemy is nearly impossible. Use the shadows, use your speed, and use the Alien's wall climbing ability to make up for the species disadvantages, namely the lack of long-range attack.

Death from Above
An advantage the Alien possesses over the other species in the game is the ability to climb walls and roam ceilings. Especially in deathmatch games, hiding on the ceiling of a level (note how dark most Aliens vs. Predator levels are) can be an effective tactic. When the human opponent passes underneath, drop down and take him or her out from behind with any one of your attacks. This works during the single-player game as well. Remaining out of sight of enemies such as Marines and Androids is a huge priority for the relatively weak Alien; use the walls and ceiling as both excellent hiding spots and the perfect position to pounce from. What makes death from above such an inviting tactic is the fact that the Alien isn't hurt by long falls.