LV-426 (Aliens Movie) Force Sub: Comparison Light Infantry Formations

[Husky_Khan]

A Squad of Marines (or other Light Infantry equivalents) from various science fiction franchises are sent to the surface of LV-426 to investigate a missing colony. The layout and circumstances are almost identical and include one civilian (Ripley equivalent) as an expert witness of at least one Xenomorphs general capabilities. Specifically, the squad itself will be stranded on the planet for at least twenty four hours due to circumstances beyond their control and after scouting/failing to rescue the colonists, will have to withstand an attack of a force of roughly one hundred and sixty xenomorphs as well as assorted facehuggery and potentially one Alien Queen as well as an exfiltration to an exterior landing pad for pickup as per movie.

Ammunition and munitions are standard and after the initial encounter, if they survive, they can re-equip at base for the last stand and utilize the heavy weapons/emplacements they brought along with them to defend chokepoints and the like.

The squads are as follows.

UNSC Marine Squad (Halo): 12 UNSC Marines in Battle Dress Uniforms With Standard Kit
9x MA5B Assault Rifles w/M301 Underslung Grenade Launcher
1x BR55 Battle Rifle
2x M739 SAW's
12x M6E Pistols
1 M831 Troop Transport Warthog
2 Deployable M247 General Purpose Machine Guns
M9 Fragmentation Grenades

Imperial Guard Squad (WH40K): Nine Cadian-style Guardsmen and One Sergeant with Flak Armor with Standard Kit
9x Lasguns
3x Laspistols
1x Flamer
1x Bolt Pistol
1x Power Sword
Frag Grenades
1 Chimera APC (w/MultiLaser, Heavy Bolter, 6 Lasgun Ports)
2 Deployable Autocannons

HECU Marine Squad: 12 Marines with Powered Combat Vests and Standard Kit (Gasmasks & NVG Goggles)
9x MP5 Submachine Guns w/M203PI Underslung Grenade Launchers
1x Spas-12 Shotgun
2x M249 SAW's
12x Desert Eagle Pistols
Mk 2 Frag Grenades
1 M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle
2 HECU Sentry Guns

Starfleet Team: 12 Starfleet Security Personnel with Padded Uniforms?
12x Type-3 Compression Phaser Rifles
12x Type-2 Hand Phasers
2x Isomagnetic Disintegrators
3x Standard Tricorders
4 Argo Buggies (2 w/ rear facing Phaser Cannons)
2 Personal Forcefields (Barrier Style)

Colonial Marine Squad: 12 Colonial Marines with M3 Pattern Personal Armor and Standard Kit (Motion Sensors)
10x M41A Pulse Rifles w/U1 Grenade Launchers
10x M240 Flamer Units
2x M56 Smartguns
12x VP70 Handguns
1 M577 APC
2 UA-571-C Automated Sentry Guns
1 Unarmed Support Synth

NCR Ranger Squad: 10 Veteran Rangers with Ranger Combat Armor and Standard Kit
8x Brush Guns
2x Anti-Material Rifles
10x Hunting Revolvers
Frag Grenades
1 Armored Personnel Carrier
2 NCR Heavy Troopers (1 w/ Incinerator, 1 w/ Light Machine Gun, 2x Super Sledges)

Imperial Stormtrooper Squad: 12 Stormtroopers with Standard Armor and Kit
10x E-11 Medium Blaster Rifle
2x T-21 Light Repeating Blaster
C-25 Fragmentation Grenades
1 K79-S80 Imperial Troop Transport
2 E-Web Heavy Repeating Blasters

Terran Marine Squad: 12 Marines with CMC-300 Powered Combat Suits and Standard Kit
12x C-14 Impaler Gauss Rifles
12x C-7 Stinger Gauss Pistols
Frag Grenades
1 Armored Personnel Carrier

X-Com Squad: 12 Squaddies with Carapace Body Armor and Standard Kit
8x Laser Rifles
1x Laser Sniper Rifle
3x Heavy Lasers
3x Rocket Launchers
12x Laser Rifles
Frag Grenades
Smoke Grenades
1 BTR-4
2 Minigun SHIVs

European Union Squad (Battlefield 2142): 12 Soldiers With Body Armor and Standard Kit
10x Scar-11 Assaults Rifles w/ underslung Herzog AR Shotguns
2x Bianchi FA-6 LMG's
12x Pereira Revolvers
FRG-1 Frag Grenades
1 AMV-2 Groundhog IMV
2 Rorsch Kz-27 Twin Anti-Aircraft Cannons

COG Light Infantry Squad: 12 Gears with Veteran Armor and Standard Kit
9x Lancer Assault Rifles
2x Gnasher Shotguns
1x Longshot Sniper Rifle
12x MX8 Snub Pistols
Bolo Grenades
1 Assault Derrick
2 Deployable Chain Guns

ISA Marine Squad (Killzone): 12 Marines with Ranger Body Armor and Standard Kit
10x M82 Assault Rifles with M303 Underslung Grenade Launchers
2x M224-A1 Light Machine Guns
12x M4 Revolvers
M194 Fragmentation Grenades
1 ISA AAPC
2 M224 MOMAG Mounted Machine Guns

Sadly the APC will randomly explode inexplicably if and when the Squad withdraws from the powerplant back to the colony (incurring no additional casualties). If the Squad manages to wipe out the Xenomorphs in the initial encounter, well... that won't be an issue.

Feel free to rank and comment which Squad will do the best in this scenario.

 

[Scooby Doo]

1. Terran Marines, because of their massive defense advantage in power armor
2. UNSC Marines due to their superior perception via HUD and more effective motion sensors
3. Guardsmen because their laser weapons can probably overheat Xenomorph blood and kill it quicker via explosion
4. Everyone else


Xenomorphs main strength is their agility and stealth, you need to either be able to survive their sneak attacks or detect them quick enough before they close the gap. Fire power isn't an issue against Xenomorphs it's them going Assassin Creed on your ass.

 

[Husky_Khan]

1. Terran Marines, because of their massive defense advantage in power armor
2. UNSC Marines due to their superior perception via HUD and more effective motion sensors
3. Guardsmen because their laser weapons can probably overheat Xenomorph blood and kill it quicker via explosion
4. Everyone else


Xenomorphs main strength is their agility and stealth, you need to either be able to survive their sneak attacks or detect them quick enough before they close the gap. Fire power isn't an issue against Xenomorphs it's them going Assassin Creed on your ass.

Yeah Starcraft Marines are formidable. I don't know if they can shake some of their cinematic performances though. The Battle of the Ameriggo still haunts them to this day. Two hundred pounds of power armor and hypersonic Guass weapons and honestly, I don't know if they have the combat awareness that will allow them to not get decisively ganked by the Xenomorphs. That's my main reservation. I could see them doing somewhat worse then the other groups largely because of their lack of combat awareness compared to the other groups.

In an open battle (or hallway) they could shred to their hearts content of course.

I kind of think of it like that Heinlein quote from Starship Troopers. "If you load a mud foot down with a lot of gadgets that he has to watch, somebody a lot more simply equipped—say with a stone ax—will sneak up and bash his head in while he is trying to read a vernier."

Only it's not really gadgets... just stomping around in giant power armored suits apparently hampers perception. The things do have HUD's and Aural Enhancers but it's still a problem solver IMHO.

The HECU and Colonial Marines (and I suppose the NCR Veteran Rangers) have good optics as well, nightvision or other image amplification obviously works better then thermal based optics of course. The other advantage of the HECU and Colonial Marine types is they have underslung grenade launchers that have multiple shot grenades instead of single shot. Colonial Marines also got the Smartguns, automated Sentry Guns and individual flamer units if so desired.

One of the advantages of the HECU and Colonial Marines is also they have automated Sentry Guns as opposed to machine gun emplacements that have to be manned, for manpower purposes.

Also the benefit of lasguns (and I suppose blasters) in cooking acid blood is true. Conversely automatic weapons are a benefit all on their own.