Alenium shards

[Marrik]

Is there any way to get more of them if my AIs die? Will I be able to make my own or get a steady supply of them at some point?

[MemoryTAS]

You can restore AIs even if they die, just go to the AGENTS screen, click on the dropdown menu in the bottom left and you can restore AI assigned to that base that died.

[Mrvex]

You can get more from loot crates from Osirion, but you can restore AI when it dies to its previous state

[Solarius Scorch]

This is explained in plain text, so I think the initial question was about getting more AIs after your initial ones are lost (by either getting obliterated or MIA). To which the answer indeed can be Osiron, but a more reliable source are alien bases.

[tris85]

Seams like I can't restore MIA AIs if the complete mission was lost - is this correct? Should I've take some "part" of it from the field? Mine died just ramp of my craft and I fled - no chance winning this mision

[psavola]

Seams like I can't restore MIA AIs if the complete mission was lost - is this correct? Should I've take some "part" of it from the field? Mine died just ramp of my craft and I fled - no chance winning this mision

Indeed it's gone, you should have taken the drone wreck back.

[tris85]

And can it somehow be "picked up"? Guess thats not possible? Playing Ironman on the highest difficulty it came pretty handy to be able to restore AIs. That makes them pretty hard limited. Are the a game changer? Or can the game be played quite good without them?

[psavola]

And can it somehow be "picked up"? Guess thats not possible? Playing Ironman on the highest difficulty it came pretty handy to be able to restore AIs. That makes them pretty hard limited. Are the a game changer? Or can the game be played quite good without them?

Yes, they are corpse items that can be picked up.

If you are in the early game, I would personally restart. AI units (esp. scout drones) are extremely useful in early game to spot Black Lotus assassins. They can be extremely useful otherwise as well, due to their night and thermal vision, especially if you use darkness and/or smoke extensively (and in SH ironman, you really should use). For example, I have found them invaluable when taking down manors (sitting inside smoke in the start squares for ~10 turns). Getting new ones is heavily dependent on RNG and reliable sources are long ways off.

[tris85]

Argh, too bad! I tried to pick up "anything" but it was a 2x2 AI and I could only check the upper squares since my TU were to low to up something up from the lower and leave the same turn. It even was a quite trained AI ...  :'(

Never the less: game is pretty advanced already... At least I think so? First ETs around the globe and Hybrid bases here and there. Whats the best chance to get new AIs? And are they required in late game? Sound like they are pretty handy as "Sectopod Shields"? But than at least the training isn't that necessary.

[psavola]

2x2 corpses cannot be picked up, so the only chance is to win the mission.

If the RNG gods are in your favor, there is some chance to get more from Osiron and MIB crates (sometimes by the start of 1999, I have already gotten 1-2 extras, sometimes zero). And if you're far along, you might get them from bases and other sources as well. So you can probably live without if you have managed this far.