Bestiary

Chorister Minor

Support · Caster · Levels 6–40

Hangs back humming the jingle. Other Thralls within its green hum ring Regen every second (a few points: it props a crowd up, not a champion). Its soft psychic cone Lags you. Down it first or the crowd keeps getting back up.

Courier Minor

Ambusher · Controller · Levels 4–40

A delivery runner who never stops running. It darts in down a 0.5 s line and hugs you still: Netted for 1.2 s while the crowd catches up. Slip tears it off and leaves it sprawled.

Lockstep Thrall Minor

Swarm · Melee · Levels 4–40

One of a crowd that hears the same jingle. They surge on every beat and on the fourth they all lunge at once down short red lines. Slip on the beat and the whole crowd misses.

Thrall Minor

A smoothed civilian in step and smiling. Knock them down and the Pin drops into safe mode for a lucid minute. Never dead.

Hauler Major

Tank · Melee · Levels 5–40

A dock loader still doing the job in its sleep. Slow, heavy sweeps telegraphed by a wide red cone that throws you back; it plants in doorways. Step out of the cone, then punish the slow recovery.

Pacer Major

Commander · Summoner · Levels 4–40

Wears the broadcast pack that keeps the crowd in step: its mast flashes on every beat and a pale tether runs to each Overclocked Thrall it drives. It stays at the back. Reach it and the whole crowd goes lucid at once.

Commander. Take it down and the people it drives wake up out of step.

Speaker Tower Major

Totem · Levels 6–40

A rattling pole of street speakers. Thralls near it Regen, and each live tower shields Saint Static (12% less damage per tower). When the Saint turns up the feedback, each tower fires a red cone at you. Break them first.

Saint Static Lieutenant

Caster · Commander · Levels 6–40

A street preacher wired into a speaker cart. Two Speaker Towers shield it and a Lockstep crowd marches to its hymn: a red ring round the cart when you close in, verses on you when you keep away. At half the towers feed back: three cones sweep in turn and each tower fires its own. Break the towers, keep moving, and the Saint and its crowd go lucid together.

Commander. Take it down and the people it drives wake up out of step.

Phases: Feedback · THE MUSIC STOPS

Orderly Minor

Melee · Controller · Levels 4–40

Ward staff with a baton and a sedative dart gun. Darts you from range (Lagged 2 s: slower moves and attacks), then walks in swinging. Close fast or kite out past the darts; Stim clears the sedative.

Sentry Post Minor

Totem · Ranged · Levels 5–40

A tripod turret on a slow motor: it turns about 75° a second and only fires down its own barrel. The front plate blocks half. Circle it faster than it can turn, or kill the Technician and it powers down.

Technician Minor

Support · Summoner · Levels 5–40

A hi-vis tech who keeps the machines running. Deploys a Sentry Post (a white ring first; at most two per fight) and patches Chassis and turrets with a green channel. Kill the tech and its turret powers down.

Commander. Take it down and everything it called shuts off.

Willing Militia Minor

A believer with a rifle and a Pin they kept on purpose. Fires 3-round bursts from half cover, then ducks.

Zealot Minor

Ambusher · Melee · Levels 4–40

A masked believer with a stun prod who runs faster than you. A red pounce line shows for 0.6 s before it leaps; its prod Shocks. Slip sideways off the line, then it's as fragile as anyone.

Grenadier Major

Artillery · Levels 6–40

A heavy with a launcher who stays at the back. Lobs two-grenade volleys (amber circles, 1.3 s) wherever you stand and backs away when you close in. Keep moving, then dive it: up close it only has a sidearm.

Kindness Officer Major

Healer · Levels 3–40

A medic with an amber armband and a kind voice. When a packmate is hurt it channels a green circle for 1.5 s that heals every ally inside by 15%, and wards them with a barrier. A hit for 10% of its health or any stun interrupts it. Kill it first.

Shift Sergeant Major

Commander · Levels 3–40

The Willing who walks the Night Shift: six Thralls in step, Overclocked while they're near its megaphone (the pale-blue tethers), and Militia on call. Reach the sergeant and the whole shift drops out of step at once; its Militia scatter.

Commander. Take it down and the people it drives wake up out of step.

Willing Marksman Major

Ranged · Levels 6–40

A believer with a long rifle who likes the far end of the street. An amber aim line tracks you for 1.2 s, then locks red: the shot does double. Pillars and crates eat it. Step aside the moment it locks.

Cordon Pylon Minor

Totem · Levels 6–40

A Warden cordon post. Neighbouring pylons link with lightning once a 1 s warning line has shown; a link Shocks and throws back anyone who touches it. Stun a pylon and its links drop; break it and the gap stays open.

Arc Warden Major

Caster · Levels 18–40

A Warden with coils on its back. It links itself to a packmate with a lightning tether (a 1 s warning line first); crossing the tether Shocks you. Walk round it, or kill either end and the line drops.

Bulwark Warden Major

Tank · Levels 18–40

A heavy Warden behind a tower shield: its front blocks 85% (energy halves that). Every 14 s it plants a shield wall for 4 s that stops your shots for everyone behind it. Flank it, or pull it off its packmates.

Duty Officer Major

Commander · Levels 6–40

A gold-trimmed Warden who runs the detail. Its Oath aura gives every Warden near it +1 AC and 5% less damage (the pale-blue tethers), badly hurt it calls one more, and it designates you for the whole squad. Drop it and its Wardens lose signal for 1.5 s.

Commander. Take it down and its squad loses signal for a moment.

Restraint Officer Major

Controller · Levels 5–40

A grey-plate Warden who carries the cuffs. Every 9 s a grey ring closes on you (1 s), then holds you for 1.8 s while it walks up with the baton. Step out of the ring, or Slip to tear the cuffs.

Warden Major

A volunteer brain in a white Concierge frame. Blocks 65% from the front; the guard drops while it swings and breaks after soaking 40% of its HP. Flank it.

Warden Lancer Major

Ambusher · Melee · Levels 18–40

A red-visored Warden with a shock lance. It lights a lane for 0.8 s, then charges down it. If the lane ends in a wall it Short-circuits itself for 1.2 s: stand with a wall at your back, step aside, punish.

Warden Scanner Major

Controller · Alarm · Levels 3–40

A Warden with a visor that sweeps. Its pale-blue scan cone (1 s) Marks whoever it catches (+15% damage taken for 8 s) and wakes everything within 7 tiles. Break line of sight, or kill it and the Mark stops coming back.

Sergeant Imre Dask Lieutenant

Tank · Commander · Levels 6–40

The curfew's crowd-control sergeant. Plants four Cordon Pylons round you; lightning links them (a 1 s line first) and touching a link Shocks and throws you back. Below 60% the fence steps in a tile every 8 s and it charges through any gap. Break the pylon nearest cover and get out.

Commander. Take it down and everything it called shuts off.

Phases: Kettle Closed · CORDON LIFTED

Sergeant Vey Boss

Warden riot captain of the Night Market checkpoint. Shield-front, a bash cone, a planted shield wall; at half health the drones come, the cuffs fly and she charges.

Hound Pup Minor

Swarm · Melee · Levels 4–40

A half-size kennel chassis still learning the job. A short red pounce line, then a nip. Fragile, fast, and never alone: slip the line, and sweep them with area damage.

Pop Drone Minor

Swarm · Artillery · Levels 4–40

A fist of plate around a shaped charge. It flies straight at you, plants itself and shows a red ring for a second, then bursts. Shoot it on the way in, or inside the ring, and the charge never goes off. Step out if you can't.

Scrap Tick Minor

Swarm · Melee · Levels 2–40

A fist-sized scrap crawler. Weaves in, lunges for the ankle. One good hit pops it; five at once is the problem.

Watcher Drone Minor

A floating eye with a stun-dart rig. Keeps its distance, alerts everything within 5 tiles and calls reinforcements. Kill it first.

Grain Relay Mast Major

Totem · Support · Levels 6–40

A field mast that feeds the Grain to every machine within five tiles: they run Overclocked and mend 2% a second, and a pale blue arc shows who it feeds. It never moves. Kill it first, or stun it to cut the feed; don't hug it when the coils light.

Hive Core Major

Summoner · Totem · Levels 5–40

A plated hive bolted to the girders. Every 9 seconds a hatch opens and a Watcher launches (2 at a time, 5 in all). Kill the core and every Watcher it launched drops out of the air; or shoot them as they launch. It vents shrapnel if you crowd it.

Commander. Take it down and everything it called shuts off.

Hunter-Hound Major

A quadruped chassis built to run you down. A red pounce line shows for 0.6 s, then it leaps. Slip sideways; it's fragile once it lands.

Salvage Carrier Major

Summoner · Commander · Ranged · Levels 2–40

A hauling drone that strips scrap and spits out Ticks. Its swarm shields it (8% less damage per live Tick) and runs faster near it. Drop the Carrier and every Tick powers down; clear the Ticks and it's naked.

Commander. Take it down and everything it called shuts off.

Sentinel Walker Major

Artillery · Tank · Levels 6–40

A two-legged gun platform. Its plated front blocks half of what hits it (energy wraps round: half that) and it turns slowly. The rear vents glow and take 50% more, and every 12 seconds it stops to vent heat: guard down, and it takes 25% more from every side. Circle it or wait for the purge, step out of the stomp ring, and keep moving under the mortar circles.

Packleader Lieutenant

Melee · Commander · Levels 5–40

The kennel's alpha rig, scarred over one eye. It hunts in chains: three lit pounce lanes back to back (five when it's been too long), then stands winded for a breath: that's your window. At half it howls in more pups and runs them Overclocked. Kill the pups first, or they go wild when it falls.

Commander. Take it down and its pack goes wild.

Phases: Howl · PACK BROKEN

Unit 0-Sorry Lieutenant

Artillery · Tank · Levels 5–40

A maintenance Sentinel that apologises before every stomp. Red rings when it plants, mortar circles when you keep away; at half it sheds its plating, calls Ticks and charges in lit lanes.

Phases: Plating Off · MAINTENANCE COMPLETE

Repo Runner Minor

Melee · Levels 6–40

A day-rate contractor with a hook-knife and a hood. Filler that runs you down so the specialists can work. Cheap to drop.

Tagger Minor

Support · Ranged · Levels 8–40

Throws a blinking lime beacon. If it sticks you are Tagged for 8 s: every Repo shot bends toward you and hits 25% harder. Dodge the dart, or drop the Tagger and the beacon goes dark.

Breacher Major

Tank · Melee · Levels 8–40

Carries a door torn off its hinges as a shield: 70% off anything from the front. Every few seconds it lights a lane and shoulder-charges down it. Flank it, or sidestep the charge and hit its back.

Hookman Major

Controller · Melee · Levels 7–40

A harpoon gun on a winch. A violet circle lands on you for a full second, then the line drags you in for a swing (red cone). Leave the circle and the hook comes back empty.

Netter Major

Controller · Ranged · Levels 6–40

Carries a net launcher and a roll of spare nets. A lime line shows for 0.7 s, then the net flies down it: Netted for 3.5 s. Step off the line; Slip or a Stim tears a net that lands.

Repo Foreman Major

Commander · Ranged · Levels 6–40

Holds the slate with your bounty on it. A lime aim line tracks you for a second, then you are Exposed and the whole crew turns on you; it calls one fresh pair of Runners. Drop the Foreman and the crew scatters: nobody fights for a boss who can't pay.

Commander. Take it down and its crew runs.

Stalker Major

Ambusher · Melee · Levels 8–40

A ghost contractor under an adaptive cloak: only a shimmer, and it can't be targeted beyond a couple of tiles. It decloaks at your back and slashes down a red cone. Area damage, a zone or shots that pass close flush it out, and the cloak's cell gives out after 9 s.

the Appraiser Lieutenant

Commander · Controller · Levels 8–40

Kindred's valuer in an executive coat and a lime visor, with a Netter and a Hookman on retainer. It prices you (Exposed, the crew focuses) and harpoons you in. At half it files liens (three grey circles that close into net cages), blinks to your flank, and every 20 s starts a 2.5 s Repossession pull on you. Hit it hard during the channel to break it, or get dragged in for a heavy blow.

Commander. Take it down and its crew runs.

Phases: Final Offer · OFFER WITHDRAWN

Fork Minor

Swarm · Melee · Levels 7–40

A process that copies itself when it ends. Kill one and two smaller Forks boot from the wreck (a white ring, a second to assemble); kill those and they split again. Area damage clears the whole tree.

Process Minor

Swarm · Levels 7–40

A violet arrowhead with a white core: one of GLITCH's running tasks. It lights a lane for half a second, then lances down it. Step off the line and it overshoots; one good hit ends it.

Mirror Major

Caster · Levels 32–40

A spinning ring that lies about where it is. At 60% and 30% it splits: two copies boot beside it and it may swap places with one. Copies never cast and pop on any hit; the one putting shapes on the floor is real.

Sandbox Major

Controller · Ranged · Levels 32–40

A rotating cube that isolates threats. It drops a cage ring on you (1.0 s) and, while you're held, it wraps itself in a barrier. Slip or Stim out of the cage and the barrier collapses with it; hit it when you're free.

Scheduler Major

Commander · Summoner · Ranged · Levels 8–40

A stacked queue of rings that keeps GLITCH's tasks running. It queues a new Process every 6 s (up to 4 at once) and overclocks the ones near it. Kill the Scheduler and every child process terminates on the spot.

Commander. Take it down and everything it called shuts off.

Sweeper Major

Tank · Melee · Levels 32–40

GLITCH's cleanup routine: a slow slab that eats the remains of downed daemons. Each wreck it reaches (a green channel; a solid hit or a stun cancels it) heals it and makes it 10% bigger and harder. Kill the small ones away from it, or burst it first.

Watchdog Major

Ambusher · Melee · Levels 8–40

A wireframe hound that guards GLITCH's memory. When you keep away it blinks behind you (a violet ring marks where it lands; a solid hit cancels the jump), then bites in a cone. Turn to face it and Slip the bite.