Praetorian

The Praetorian is perhaps one of the most interesting strains within the Xenomorph biology. Its primary role within the Hive is to guard key locations of importance or interest, and if nothing else, to protect the Queen herself.

Anatomy and Genetics
The Praetorian it is "pure born", meaning it is born to take form as such and protect the hive and does not steal genes from the host making it pure, or that evolves from the basic caste drone in a molting process or both.

A warrior can molt into Praetorian if exposed to royaljelly. A Praetorian can molt into a king alien if there is not one around.

The physical features of the Praetorian is very pristine: its appearance looks very similar to the King; it has a crown-like head crest, large size and great strength.

Another theory is that Praetorians are male Xenomorphs. Upon observation the hives are by default extremely hostile to Praetorians; only the strongest and most resilient live long enough to escape the hive. Those that do survive only return when they are large enough to fend off the hive's attacks (and in some cases, the Queen herself), at which point an uneasy truce forms; the hive no longer expends drones trying to drive out the Praetorian, and the Praetorian lends its considerable might to defending the hive. It is theorized that King Aliens are particularily old and well-developed Praetorians, capable of withstanding even the Queens' attempts to kill him, at which point she will allow him to mate with her.

Behavior
The behavior of the Praetorian is possibly one of the most graphic and intense of all the strains, excluding the Queen. Not only is it 'programmed' to automatically become hostile to any foreign intruder of the Hive, but also with the molting process, in which it emits pheromones that somehow enrage other strains. The Praetorian, along with all the other xenomorphs in the hive, can sense any victim's pheromones through any wall or surface.

The Praetorian could be seen as smarter than most xenomorphic castes although a Praetorian is considered the guards of the queens and will molt when the pheromones of a queen are not present but sometimes in desprate times the Praetorian will be forced to mate with the Queen if the king is no where to be found.

Facts

 * "Praetorian" is a special force of skilled and celebrated warriors used by Roman emperors, perhaps defined as "Guard".
 * Praetorians are featured in the following games: Aliens vs. Predator, Aliens vs. Predator 2, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, AVP Arcade, and various console titles.
 * The Praetorian is depicted in different ways throughout various games. In Aliens vs. Predator, the strain walks on all fours, and pounces most of the time. In Alien vs. Predator 2, the strain is massive.
 * The Praetorian makes an appearance in Aliens vs. Predator 2010 for the X-Box 360, PS3 and PC. It retains the intricate head-crest, is roughly twice the size of a Drone, and is notably more difficult to dispatch.

Physical abilities
The Praetorian Xenomorph has more or less the same physiscal abilities as a Warrior or Drone. Despite their large size, they still have the ability to climb on any surface. Speed is still present within a Praetorian, but cannot be compared to the speed of a Warrior. Strength is a key factor of the Praetorian. Thick, armored skin and a fairly large head ( Also covered with thicker skin ) provide excellent protection. The tail of any Xenomorph will naturally increase in size as it goes through different stages of it's life. The tail of a Praetorian isn't that much longer of a Warrior, but has still increased. Large spines also stick out of the back. The Praetorians camouflauge is still exactly the same as any other Xenomorph, with the exception of Runners or Reds.

Appearances and Sources

 * Aliens Vs. Predator
 * Aliens Vs. Predator 2
 * Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinction
 * Alien vs predator Requiem game
 * Alien Vs. Predator (2010)