Looking for some fun? These Clockworks areas would be as profitable as such levels as Jelly Farm II and even Firestorm Citadel... but they'd be dangerous!
~CASTLE COURSE~
A massive and confusing castle originally meant for the Monster King Krogmo, it became filled with mites that make the King sneeze. As such, King Krogmo has moved, and turned the place into a deadly (and mandatory) obstacle course full of some of his more unpleasant vassals and a variety of explosive traps.
A large Castle area that's open to the Clockworks, it looks fairly like the Royal Jelly Palace, but with many battlements that can be walked on. Castle Courses are filled with Gremlins, Fiends, and Slimes:
-Devilite
-Firebrander
-Pit Boss
-Silkwing
-Gremlin Thwacker
-Gremlin Mender
-Gremlin Demo
-Gremlin Scorcher
-Jelly Cube
-Blast Cube
-Lichen (Various Sizes)
-Oiler
-Toxigel
-Polyp
They also sport the following new enemies.
-DOOM DEVISER and ELITE DEMO: The Doom Deviser is a particularly angry-looking grey Devilite with bombs in its hands, while the Elite Demo is a Gremlin Demo with an Onyx Bombhead Mask. They both use powerful Krogmo Bombs, which explode the same way a Blast Network bomb will. They have two explosions in Tier 1 (assuming they are even in Tier 1), four in Tier 2, and seven in Tier 3! The explosions cause hefty Normal damage, no matter who throws them. The Doom Deviser and Elite Demo only differ in what they're weak to. These appear in every Castle Course.
-PARTY CUBE: This green Jelly Cube has double the dimensions of your typical Jelly Cube, but even more interesting is what happens when you kill it. Eight enemies will pop out in a ring formation, along with a generous amount of confetti. These will be any of the monsters that can appear in the level, as well as Zombies, Kats, Wolvers, Chromalisks, Gun Puppies, or Retrodes. Each monster will be different, so enjoy the party! At least one is in each Castle Course.
The levels are signified by a green Rook symbol (with the exception of Throne Room Tumult), and have a track that is at once royal-sounding and frantic. The levels are as follows:
-Mucilaginous Moat (I, II) takes knights up and down the walls, running through the moat. While there is no water, there is black slime all along the moat, as well as an abundance of spike traps and fire grates; Oilers and Scorchers will frequent this area.
-Parapet Perimeter (I, II) will start and end in a room in the center, right next to the wall, and walls will separate the player from the elevator down. To get to the elevator, one must traverse the entirety of the castle wall (the walkway on top is also known as a "parapet", by the way), destroying turrets at all four towers along the way. Walls on the left and right will have extra walls on which Devilites and Polyps will stand and fire, unreachable by any sword; throwable rockets will be available for the noob Wolvers that don't have guns. Various staircases will also lead into a few paths inside the walls.
-Grenadier Gallery (I, II) has players fighting from a short wall down into multiple rooms, braving spike traps and many enemies. The Doom Devisers and Elite Demos are very prominent here, but other enemies will appear.
-Throne Room Tumult has the Briar Bone Barrage/Stygian Steeds icon, with the Castle Course color scheme. You start inside a section of moat, where you hit a party button... MAIN THEME PLAYS, and you fight two waves of monsters, with many Oilers and Scorchers. Then you ascend the wall to another battle room, with two more waves, including a great variety of enemies and respawning Polyps on detached platforms! Afterward is a party button on a bridge leading into a room, that triggers another two-wave battle room where they throw just about everything at you. Finally, the Throne Room... a large room with a throne in the center and spike traps on the sides. Inside, you fight three very specific waves:
-3 Devilites, 3 Jelly Cubes, 2 Blast Cubes, 2 Thwackers, 2 Demos, 1 Mender, 1 Party Cube
-4 Firebranders, 2 Pit Bosses, 2 Silkwings, 2 Scorchers, 2 Oilers, 2 Toxigels, 4 Polyps, 2 Elite Demos, 1 Party Cube
-1 Giant Lichen Colony, 6 Lichens, 4 Firebranders, 2 Menders, 4 Doom Devisers, 2 Party Cubes
Needless to say, this level's got tons of monsters; perhaps the crown payout should be toned down!
~DRAGON DEPTHS~
The Dragon Depths are where the mighty Chroma Drakes, once thought extinct, hoard their wealth. These mighty winged lizards will viciously attack anyone who dares enter, and only the bravest of Knights can fight through to their hoards. Furthermore, rumors abound of a giant that hunts in the caves: the mighty Chroma Dragon itself!
Dragon Depths are only in Tiers 2 and 3, and are very cave-esque until the treasure room (which is full of piled gold and minerals), but you can see gaps in the floor. The music that plays will give off a sense of menace. They have the following enemies inside:
-Chromalisks
-Salamanders
-Tundralisks
-Electrolisks
-Virulisks
-Dust Zombies
-Howlitzers
Sound easy? Well, you haven't seen them all:
The standard CHROMA DRAKE is not to be underestimated. At first glance, yes, it looks to be just a miffed-looking Chromalisk, but a little bigger, with Dragon Wings and a spike on its tail. But the Chroma Drake is much more powerful than it lets on at first. Its Tongue attack sweeps in an arc, and can Stun targets. In addition, it can use a tail spin that knocks away targets and deals Piercing damage, and can also hover in the air before using either a flying tackle (Piercing/Stun damage) or a breath attack. The breath attack deals Elemental damage and leaves a Stunning haze. (And it's purple.)
Volcanic Drakes, Tundra Drakes, Storm Drakes, and Swamp Drakes match Salamanders, Tundralisks, Electrolisks, and Virulisks, respectively; their eyes are much angrier though. Their spit attack spreads seven globs of spit in an arc, but otherwise their attacks are the same, replacing Stun with Fire, Freeze, Shock, or Poison, as the case may be. Except the breath attacks. The Fire Breath hurls a series of four exploding fireballs that leave flaming spots on the ground equivalent to burning oil. The Ice Breath covers the ground around the Tundra Drake. The Lightning Breath is a straight lighning bolt that swings in an arc, like the Chroma Drake's tongue. The Acid Breath will leave a long, straight line of burning acid that is quite toxic as well.
And then there's the big guy. The CHROMA DRAGON is a massive green Chroma Drake with horns. It won't fight, per se, but will instead wait outside in the background, beyond the reach of swords, once the party hits the button and up until the end treasure room, either spitting fireballs or occasionally swooping across in a Piercing-damage attack, and roaring every so often to intimidate the scared little players (though this has no effect on the knights). To survive its relentless attacks, damage it with guns or Fire pots, and it'll fly away for a while. Be careful- when you're on certain bridges, it'll flap its wings at you, which will normally push you into brambles! The one time it gets on the ground, it means business- it'll hit with all the Breath attacks and everything else the Chroma Drakes have to offer, and can also slam the ground, creating a shockwave. Once you manage to damage it enough, it flies away, leaving behind quite a bit of loot. (You don't kill it, this is to open it up as a boss, perhaps?)
The level is represented by a brown Jigsaw Valley symbol, except for Dragon Den Disorder. The levels are as follows:
-Growling Grotto (I, II, III) has a variety of Chromalisks and Chroma Drakes in a streamlined path.
-Chroma Complex (I, II) has two splitting paths, with switches on each that will force you to go up and down each path. The Chroma Dragon loves to harass players as they run down these paths.
-Scaly Subterrane is like Plazamonium, but with room for the Dragon to fly about and torch players as they're carrying the keys back. There is a battle room at the end.
-Dragon Den Disorder is marked by the Briar Bone Barrage/Stygian Steeds icon. It's another series of battle rooms that has the Main Theme playing, each with many Chroma Drakes, and the third in the gold-laden lair itself. The last wave in the Lair is the Chroma Dragon, flanked by two Chroma Drakes and two Howlitzers! Once it's defeated, remember, the Chroma Dragon flees.
Compliments? Suggestions? Scathing rebukes?
I love both of these, the Chroma dragons more then anything!