Spiral Knights - How do people feel about compounds?

How do people feel about compounds?

6 replies [Last post]

Wed, 05/06/2026 - 18:36

Dr-Fantasticulas

How do people feel about compounds?

I ask because when I'm doing arcade runs, generally I manage to build up a good team during the run but more often than not when the gate shows a compound coming up people leave or suggest waiting for the next stage.

I myself groan audibly when I see a compound, I don't particularly enjoy them but I can't quite pinpoint what it is about compounds I don't like. I wanna say it's the mini enemies, y'know, I don't fully hate the beast ones, I'm on the fence with the slime ones and there's a special place in hell for the scarabs but I don't know if this is just a poor mindset thing on my part (A skill issue if you will) or if y'all have a similar sentiment.

I'd really love to see other people's thoughts on compounds, and if you're one of those who leave when one pops up (mind, I don't blame you) I'd love to see your thoughts especially.

Wed, 05/06/2026 - 19:27

Mergu-Md

I try to avoid them. I think they make the arcade experience as a whole worse off. That being said, their problems are very fixable. All of the minis could use a slight nerf (not just to their damage, but also to their AI) and the rewards could be adjusted. Also would love to see the spike strips in the final room removed.

Thu, 05/07/2026 - 05:37

Ultraflo

Cancer

Everytime I run arcade, be it with friends or with randoms, we always wait for the stage to cycle. The only time I play compounds, is when the team is full of new players who dont know any better.

Not a single veteran I know loves compounds.

Reason? It always boils down to the minis. On T3, they tank too much, almost as much as regular enemies despite being miniature versions. When you have so many of them on the field, its just not fun at all.

Imho, minis should be killed in one hit no matter the tier. They should serve as a nuisance at most.

I would not miss compounds at all, in fact I'd be happy if they got removed.

Thu, 05/07/2026 - 06:22

Thats-Rough-Buddy

Since players are all about

Since players are all about profit, an easy fix would be making every single mini drop identical loot to a full sized enemy, since they were never really minis to begin with. Removing all mini enemy infinite spawns would be the next logical step. This could even make compounds better than arenas for loot.

Thu, 05/07/2026 - 08:47

Spharin

i'm fine as long as it isn't scarabs
their attack makes them hard to kill quickly unlike drops and bunnies, compounds have a guaranteed amount of boxes, so i know what i'm getting
compounds have their own tileset, so it's nice playing something different sometimes if other maps are repetitive
one of my main weapons is a ctr vh torpor, so it's easy to collect and kill the minis

Thu, 05/07/2026 - 12:18

Ustrinaferalthorn

Hate Them

Hate them with a BURNING passion. I absolutely refuse to do them and will avoid entire gates if I see too many of them in a rotation

Thu, 05/07/2026 - 12:45

Leafblader

They're just regular levels to me

Compounds just feel like alternative Clockwork Tunnels to me. A regular generic stage that shows up several times per gate. It's been years since I've paid any attention to Compounds while looking at gate maps.

They generally have better and more interesting rooms than Clockwork Tunnels (They do lack Danger Rooms however). I think Compounds are some of the better regular stages, certainly more interesting than the likes of Wolver Dens or Deconstruction Zones. I enjoy them.

I also like minis. I found them difficult at first too, but once you start using the right bombs or other crowd control weapons they become very manageable. I would hate to see them get nerfed into shadows of their former selves like some other enemies (rip wolvers, retrodes and zombies).

Adding a few more treasure boxes couldn't hurt though. A lot of people find Compounds difficult and they should probably have a slightly higher payout.

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How do people feel about compounds?