Hate chanters

Hate Chanters are a major threat from the Anomaly DLC. Hate Chanters require a level 1 monolith or higher.

Summary

A large number of horax cultists spawn on the edge of the map, move in about 20-30 cells and start chanting. The chanters will continue chanting until 10% to 30% of their number are downed or killed. Then they will attack. Until then, they will ignore being attacked.

Hate Chant gives a colonist mood debuff of −5, then periodically intensify to −10 / −20 / −30 / −45. Other than the mood debuff, there is no effect. The mood debuff is scaled by psychic sensitivity, meaning that psychically deaf pawns aren't affected by the chant.

The cultists are all inhumanized, which means they can withstand very low temperatures and have -50% pain. While they are chanting they have the Psychic trance hediff, which reduce their needs: Hunger Rate 10% and Rest Fall Rate -90%. Cultists with ranged weapon also have 1 charge of death refusal.

The cultists are ignored by visitors and arriving caravans, but they will be attacked by leaving caravans.

Analysis

It isn't worth it to wait the cultists out, as they will chant for a very long time before collapsing from malnutrition. But if you wait long enough, some of them will collapse first, triggering an attack from the remaining cultist. This attack will be weaker due to the malnutrition affecting the ciltists

To stop the chant early, you need to send your colonists out and kill enough chanters for the to trigger their attack. You should pick up ranged weapons dropped by the cultists, as their owners have death refusal and will pick up nearby weapons when they ressurrect. It is advisable to injure the cultists instead of outright killing them, because you will get to deal more damage before the attack begin.

Due to the reduced pain from the inhumanization hediff, cultists almost always fight to the death. They are much more dangerous than normal raiders