How does mind controll really work?

I have a priest with 15 WP.
I read, that MC somebody will reduce 1-10 WP each round.

But what about the costs for initiating MC? Does it cost WP to take over an enemy?
If so: How much?

The cost of mind-controlling someone is … the amount of WP that this someone/thing has.

So if a Triton has 23WP, it will cost you 23WP to mind-control it.
Then, to keep the mind-control, you need to pay 2WP each turn (that’s why a Siren without a head can’t keep control)

Per character you have mind-controlled.

So mind-controlling 1 Triton with 10 WP would cost you 10 WP, then 2 WP per turn.

Mind-controlling 2 Tritons with 10 WP each would cost 20 WP, and 4 WP per turn.

Ah, ok. Thank you.

And to keep up MC? The text says: Between 1 - 10 WP.
How do you know, that keeping up MC for a Triton costs 2 WP and not 1 oder 3 or 10?

Mind Control upkeep is a flat cost of 2 WP per character under control per turn, only the initial cost of subjugating them is dynamic depending on how much WP the creature has at the time you activate Mind Control on them.

Unless it’s changed recently, but I don’t think it has.

Then the text for upkeeping the MC is wrong in the game. It clearly says, that upkeeping costs 1 - 10 WP.

I trust you guys more then some f… up ingame text.

It seems impossible to keep control on a Scylla though … forcing you to repay the price to MC it.

Worst case, experiment and see how much WP your Priest loses at the start of each turn when you have another character Mind Controlled.

On Arthrons, Tritons, and a few Chirons (after blowing their heads off to reduce their WP) I think it was always 2 WP per turn per character in my experience. Never tried on a Scylla though.

Is it possible to MC someone and let it the MC go again after some rounds to keep and save the WP for someone else?

I was thinking about MC an Arthron, let it run away from my team and then MC someone else.

You can release them on the same turn you MCed them. When you MC someone release option shows up in actions menu.

EDIT: If you MC a triton go to its inventory and drop weapon on ground

This is also why you may have one of your characters that is mind-controlled suddenly return to you, even if you haven’t killed the Siren or knocked out her head. It means the controlling siren ran out of will points and is likely to “recover” in the next turn.

I would be more like, use his grenade launcher or gun on his pals and bring it closer to get shotgunned after release.

Last patch is supposed to have change it with variable control maintain cost. At some points I wondered if Triton wasn’t 3, Crabs 2, but in a later play it seems not. I didn’t bother control Siren since long, even less Chiron and Scylla.

Do we know if there’s supposed to be something that’s based on? Enemy total possible WP, arbitrary set cost per enemy type, etc? Or is it completely randomized? WP usage should still be predictable.

I don’t remind any detail in patch notes, you can read it. I supposed it was only linked to enemy type and perhaps some sub types not that obvious.

Do mind controlled units count as “paralyzed”, if they are the last on the field?

no they don’t

Mission ends automatically if last enemy is mind controlled and enemy is not captured. This is stupid if I want to capture that alien. For instance if I have only melee paralyzers I want to mind control enemy and position it between 3-4 my soldiers with paralyzers, then release it from mind control and beat (paralyze) crap out of it.
Now it is implemented in that way that I have to run after enemies to paralyze them with melee.