Kinda what Willzadl said, strains should still be the same caste, but with different strengths/weaknesses, also with sometimes niche abilities.
With that said, ive thought it over a bunch, heres a few:
EMP sentinel strain:
Neuro spit traded for EMP spits, less good against a single marine and no scatter spit, but instead gets an EMP spit with temporarily damages electronics (doesnt break anything, but turns off lamps, disables NVs, shocks doors etc. Also immune to doorshock). Maybe some discharge ability that, when charged with spits, does a mini EMP sorta deal, not entirely worked on but could be dope.
Sniper spitter:
As it sounds, permanently locked into 2x vision (preferable, but unsure if possible with code), otherwise accurate long range spits, without the charged spit ability, maybe some more downside/change as well.
Defender strain:
Currently theres only steelcrest, trading slash damage for armor/moving during fortify, but defenders main ability is making space, something along the lines trading some of that armor, for a stronger tailclub, IE centering it about the knockdown from the tailspin, tailspin has less CD, but also gets less cooldown from slashes, no fortify. Still defender, but less soaking damage and more making space.
Blind Burrower:
Entirely blind, IE cant see items only the actual characters moving around and walls, but sound generated gives you vision. For the downside, you get a few tiles “dash” where you quickly burrow, and come up again, avoiding obsticles and such, ability has a switch for targeting marines/going under em, if you hit with the charge you “pull them into the ground” (just stunned and on the floor), but with the stomp being swapped for a one similar to crusher, big damage on downed marines, but no stun. Traps still remain.
Carrier Healer:
Shaman was pretty busted, and the massive buffs it handed out aswell, carrier which sacrifices eggs to heal is still pretty neato tho, sacrifice eggs to heal quickly, or to empower buildings around you, cant build yourself since thats niched into the eggsack, but you can sac an egg to make doors/buildings stronger, possibly egg sacrifice to give you a shield on your tile, similar to reflect walls, but you can move around and block shots.
Prae Lancer:
Throws spikes, grows em out of their back passively and slowly, like shards for hedge, but instead uses them to impale marines, if they are next to a wall they are impaled on the wall, and have to pull themselves out, single shot, takes a bit to load a new one, slow and immobile like the oppressor but with damage throws instead.
Not really complete strains, mostly just brainfarts ive had, some of em neato and could make use of mechanics xenos dont really use.
