To capture an enemy, weaken the target first, then use Capture Rounds appropriate to the active build; if capture fails, respect AG-14 failure protection and avoid a Leader melee kill.
Prepare Capture Rounds before departure
Official material confirms the capture loop and AG-14's advanced Capture Rounds. Community answers in the supplied research point to the Weapon Research Center or weapon-manufacturing facility for making capture ammunition, but that location is interface-sensitive. Verify the current facility name, research state, and ammunition description before leaving.
AG-14 added three advanced types intended to improve capture probability against Elite and Boss targets. The research does not preserve their current names, values, or universal eligibility rules, so this page does not invent them. Compare the target class with the wording on the ammunition available in the active build.
Weaken the target without finishing it
The supported sequence is to reduce the enemy to low health and then use a Capture Round. “Low” is deliberately not converted into a percentage here: the canonical research says capture depends on ammunition level, enemy type or quality, and patch state, but it does not establish a permanent threshold.
Control stray damage while preparing the shot. Squad attacks, a continuing weapon effect, or a rushed follow-up can defeat a target that was meant to be captured. Read the health state and current capture feedback rather than repeating a fixed number from an older build.
Handle a failed capture safely
AG-14 added brief failure protection so ordinary follow-up damage would not immediately kill a target after a capture attempt failed. The same official update says a Leader melee attack can bypass that protection and kill the target.
Treat the protection as a recovery window, not an invulnerability promise. Pause uncontrolled follow-up attacks, observe the current status feedback, and prepare another supported attempt if ammunition and target eligibility allow. The supplied evidence does not give a permanent duration for the window.
Verify which targets are eligible
Do not claim that all enemies can be captured. Community samples disagree about giant, mechanical, and non-human targets, and eligibility can change with enemy type, ammunition, or patch. Build a current-version checklist from what the active interface confirms:
- target name and type;
- normal, Elite, or Boss classification;
- Capture Round type used;
- visible capture feedback; and
- game build or patch date.
An unsuccessful sample does not prove permanent ineligibility; it may reflect probability or an unsuitable round. A successful sample in one build does not prove every related target works forever.
Send the captive into the Prison loop
A successful capture returns to colony management rather than immediately becoming a soldier. Check Prison availability and processing state before building a capture-focused expedition plan. The Prison guide separates unlock, intake, status inspection, and handling decisions.
Conversion is another step, not a guaranteed automatic result. The prisoner conversion guide explains the official Early Access boundary and labels community routes as current-build observations.
Recheck after combat updates
Capture probability, advanced rounds, target eligibility, protection behavior, and interface wording are patch-sensitive. After an update that mentions capture, enemies, ammunition, or Prison handling, repeat the preparation and eligibility checks before relying on an old route.