Medium Scout

The Medium Scout is likely the second UFO you will have access to as the alien player. While being an early game ship this UFO is very versatile and will be the workhorse of your fleet until you can get more advanced craft constructed. Its primary strength is in research as it is a scout craft, however it is also capable of performing Abduction and Harvest missions with decent efficiency. As such, early in the game the Medium Scout will be your primary resource gatherer and research vessel until the alien player can field more advanced options such as the Harvester and Abductor.

In addition to its versatility, the Medium Scout is also the first UFO to contain some semblance of an alien crew. Whereas in the Small Scout you are limited to a single alien, the Medium Scout contains a crew of 3-6 making it more of a threat on the ground.

Use these UFOs carefully, in the early game they take a decent amount of time to produce and considering they are required to progress in the research tree they are a prime target for interceptors. If you lose a Medium Scout in the early game as the alien player you will feel the hurt as it significantly reduces the speed you gain improved technology and resources.