Poltergeist

The Poltergeist (Typhon dysmorpha) is a hostile Typhon encountered on Talos I in Prey and on Pytheas moon base in Prey: Mooncrash.

Overview
Occasionally, Weavers aren't successful in their attempts to reanimate husks. In these cases, rather than creating a Phantom, the result is a Poltergeist. They lurk out of sight, waiting for the right moment to hurl objects or throw their victims into the air.

The Poltergeist is the only known Typhon with the ability to render itself invisible. With this ability, they're masters of ambush. Poltergeists are lurkers; they find a place within their environment and haunt it. Sometimes a Poltergeist won’t even be hostile, and you might only notice it when it starts to play with objects in the environment or when throws something across the room. At other times, a Poltergeist might inexplicably choose to attack you with a lift field, which sends you floating a few feet off the ground, making you easy prey for other aliens. The Poltergeists slip in and out of the visible spectrum, which makes them a difficult enemy to get a bead on. The Lift Field power is unlocked by scanning this enemy. Alternatively the Lift Field power and the Poltergeist research data can be acquired via transferring a file from Sylvain Bellamy's workstation.

On Pytheas, not only are the Poltergeist able to generate lift fields and to throw objects at their target, but they are also able to try and grab any object held in hands by their target, being sometimes able to disarm them.

Prey
EXCERPT FROM PSYCHOTRONICS DATABASE: Common Name: Poltergeist Scientific Name: Typhon dysmorpha Poltergeists are not a normal part of the Typhon ecology. Instead, they appear to be a result of a rare mutation that occurs in less than 5% of Phantom genesis cases. The Poltergeist is also the only known Typhon to possess the ability to render themselves invisible, undetectable even to Psychoscope scanning. The exact mechanism is unknown at this time as their limited numbers make adequate study difficult. Please note that any enclosure used for Phantom genesis studies must be subjected to a full purge to avoid overlooked Poltergeist specimens. MORGAN'S NOTES: Prefers to ambush prey. Uses psychokinetic action to throw objects. Stunted legs make it slow. Use a Typhon Lure to help detect it or wait for it to attack.

Mooncrash
ERROR: UNABLE TO CONNECT TO PSYCHOTRONICS DATABASE CONNECTING TO PYTHEAS LABS DATABASE... Common Name: Poltergeist Scientific Name: Typhon Dysmorpha Excerpt from observation log #1954-051834 Researcher: Louis Sullivan Jr.

It's curious that our Poltergeists have demonstrated differences in behavior from those created on Talos. The fact that they seemed inclined to rip instruments from researchers' hands suggests they may be indeed acquire new behaviors based on environmental differences. Unfortunately, deeper study is rendered nearly impossible due to their active camouflage and their rare occurrence even under controlled Phantom Genesis circumstances...

PETER'S NOTES:

They're here. Grabby little cowards. Have to hold on tight to any weapon I have or they might run off with it. Seem to pop into view for a second any time they chuck something. Might be able to get them to stick around with a bit of Gloo.

Design
They look like a deformed version of the Phantom with thin springy arms that it uses to move, and seemingly unusable legs and two eyes instead of four.

Strategy
Ways to counter attack it include firing the GLOO Cannon until it is caught, or at least fire a few shots before it blips out of vision so you can track it. It is extremely weak against the shotgun, and unlike its less annoying counterpart, the Phantom, it lacks a melee attack, meaning that if you can get close, a few shotgun blasts should be able to take it out.

You can also use Psychoscope vision to track it, however it does not always show up. 1v1 is really easy even with wrench alone. Be careful to look at the floor, so you can see the lift field coming. if you get trapped in the lift field, use the Artax Propulsion System (found in the Hardware Labs) to escape.