Spiral Knights - Treasure Mimic sucks

Treasure Mimic sucks

24 replies [Last post]

Mon, 07/20/2026 - 10:21

Holy-Nightmare

Lets be real... the boss fight is awful... it's the most "You're not allowed to play" fight in the entire game

You can't use bombs if their range is too short because it deletes anything close to it and also just randomly deletes them when placed anywhere in the boss room.

You can't use swords because it's surrounded by several high HP infinitely respawning tentacles.

You can't use the vast majority of guns because again it infinitely spawns tentacles to block any bullet.

The only things you're allowed to use are weapons with piercing projectiles... this means.... the charge attacks of Brandish, Sealed sword, Antigua, Tundrus, and Magnus weapons.

As if this wasn't bad enough it also is in a room with infinitely respawning glop drops, and it's main attack is an AOE that is such wide range and speed that even IF you see it coming you can't move out of the way if you're trying to use a Sword charge attack.

To make matters worse it can spawn in ANY Stratum.... how is this supposed to be a fun experience for new players? Even for intermediate players? Right now there's one of these levels at depth 3... I challenge any dev to try and beat this with 0 and 1 star gear... If this boss can't be beaten by the players you're presenting this to then it's a bad design.

Worse still.... what's the reward? You get nothing special for beating it... a few Slime coins that are only usable during certain events and can be acquired from ANY slime monster... even the payout isn't that good in terms of CR.... and even for those who fight the Tier 3 one there's an extremely small chance to get an extremely rare trinket with an absolutely useless effect.

This "Boss" needs a heavy makeover and total rework of mechanics... and until it gets updated, it shouldn't be allowed in the lower levels of the Arcade.

Mon, 07/20/2026 - 12:02

Mergu-Md

The trinket needs a serious rework considering how difficult it is to obtain.

Mon, 07/20/2026 - 13:34

Leafblader

Treasure Mimic is poorly designed

Treasure Mimic is the one thing in the game that's truly a gear check. If you have a Magnus line gun it's free. If you have a weapon with piercing like a brandish then it's hard but doable. If you don't have piercing it's practically unwinnable.

They should either vastly reduce the hp of the tentacles or make it so that they're permanently destroyed rather than respawning every phase. They're not remotely worth disabling right now.

The inability to use bombs against it is baffling. Why is one of the 3 weapon types completely useless against this boss for no good reason? Just remove its bomb destruction mechanic.

Another problem I have with Treasure Vaults is that the Glop Drops in the opening section drop no loot for no good reason. They're non-respawning enemies that you have to kill to progress. Why don't they drop anything?. It makes no sense.

Mon, 07/20/2026 - 23:58

Pdtopgun

Honestly the whole level is pretty terrible. Having to sit there for 5 minutes straight and spam Acheron charges at what feels like an unending wave of Glop Drops is about the least fun thing in the entire game. (But wait, let's add blocks that damage you into the mix.) Most of the Razor rooms require far more precision than the game's control scheme allows for; there are a few patterns I've never managed to find my way through without taking some damage. (Oh, and the little things hit like a truck for some reason.) And as you said, the boss fight all but requires a single specific gun to beat without putting yourself in extreme danger. These levels were added to the game after I'd stopped playing regularly, and the first time I played through one this year I was shocked that something like it had actually been published to the live game.

Oh, and they stole the proper Treasure Vault's name. Truly unforgivable.

Tue, 07/21/2026 - 03:54

Vyre-Acidlashed

The razor rooms, how could I forget. I really do believe the intent was for it to be a risk-versus-reward thing, which is why there's an elevator early on to skip the stage consistently, but if that's the case, why isn't there a reward for that risk? It either needs tuning up to be worth its asking effort or the effort required for what it gives back needs dialling down...

Tue, 07/21/2026 - 10:07

Holy-Nightmare

@Leafblader It's a gear

@Leafblader

It's a gear check, but like I mentioned there's one at depth 3...

What gear at 0 and 1 star can actually play there? All the bombs are Blast style, the swords have no range on the charge, the Magnus style guns use the old charge attack style (at least it doesn't knock you off your feet anymore)

Like I genuinely challenge the entire dev team to beat this with only the kinda gear new players can have on their first few clockworks runs

Tue, 07/21/2026 - 11:13

Vyre-Acidlashed

Sorry for throwing a lot of assumptions and assertions around, but something about the treasure mimic feels unfinished? There are a lot of things about these mechanics that would work really well if they had one change made.

Like, the HUGE AOE would make sense if it did *very little damage*, and its intent was to screw over people trying to get off charge shots.
The constant minis would make sense if they were intended as an impeding factor to players only interested in rushing the core, making them take their time and clear their own path,
and the Tentacles would make sense as a damage gate if they had an extended cooldown on whether they're able to respawn or not, soaking up damage from charge attacks to draw out the fight a little longer to make it a reasonable challenge.

Something about the whole thing feels... "prototype-y."

Tue, 07/21/2026 - 12:00

Bopp

thanks for this thread

Thanks for this thread. I've only used Magnus-style guns on the treasure mimic --- even the very first time I encountered it, by chance --- so I had no idea that it was hard to kill with most weapons. Now I want to try. :)

Tue, 07/21/2026 - 12:19

Jcyrano

so Ash of Agni and Voltaic

so Ash of Agni and Voltaic Tempest are outranged by the boss? what about the shards of the Shard Bombs, what about the Shard of the Tortofists?
I get that The developers don't want the Dark Retribution be in range of the boss but in range to destroy the tentacles... since it chan hit hard and fast. But the other 2, Nor Ash of Agni Nor Voltaic Tempest can oneshot not only the boss but the tentacles... they do damage thru status, so they can make a clear window to the boss by charing or zapping tentacles which takes time, is that bad... ¿No?Maybe?

Tue, 07/21/2026 - 21:26

Scuttlechan

Torto is bad idea on Mimic

I'm not exactly sure how the shard bombs do since I haven't crafted those yet, but funnily enough the Torto-shards get "Wall'd" by the same mechanic that hinders them.

Since they stop at any mob in front of them they get completely blocked by the tentacles, unless you somehow get really lucky by the shard spread that at least one shard gets through

Wed, 07/22/2026 - 09:04

#10

Holy-Nightmare

It's funny that they devs

It's funny that they devs created two of the strongest weapons in the game the Blitz needle and the Dark Retribution... and when they make a boss with the ability to counter them it also denies the vast majority of the other weapons to the point where it's almost unplayable for long time players, and entirely unbeatable for people new to the game (despite making it accessible to them).

Wed, 07/22/2026 - 10:44

#11

Vaultblazer

It's a shame that this' entirely the case considering I do enjoy the level layout and decor of Treasure Vaults, it's just the total whiplash between over 50 high-HP enemies on screen at once, the Razorblade "puzzles" and Treasure Mimic being extremely ill-thought out, I still remember trying to fight it for the first time and the Blazing Pulsar just...Didn't accomplish anything which forced me to invest in the Tundrus.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed whenever Grey Havens is finished with the next major patch I've heard rumblings about, we'll see some desired adjustments to stuff like this. I totally agree that it should never show up in Tier 1, though, I'd wager that Stratum 4-6 should be where they're findable as it allows players to actually have decent equipment by the time they're something that can show up.

I'd been surprised by T3 Glop Drops in the T2 Treasure Vault while levelling gear, and that's only gonna get rough in concept the earlier you are into the game's playtime without knowing too much about Danger rooms.

Wed, 07/22/2026 - 11:13

#12

Holy-Nightmare

@Vaultblazer

The only way I could see it being "ok" for Tier 1 is if the Punch and Pummel guns get updated to match the mechanics of the rest of the Magnus Family... then at least new players have an early game option for dealing with it...

But even then it would still be extremely egregious to force players to use 1 weapon to beat a boss...

Thu, 07/23/2026 - 03:57

#13

Leafblader

@Holy-Nightmare

I have actually soloed a tier 1 Treasure Mimic on my tier 1 knight before, without using any sparks. I think I used Super Slime Slasher or Hot Edge charges and carefully timed regular attacks? I don't remember it that well. It took foreeeeeever and was incredibly difficult, one of the hardest things I've done in this game.

So it is *possible* to solo it with tier 1 gear, but it isn't remotely realistic and new players have no chance whatsoever.

It's also ridiculous that tier 1 Treasure Vaults make you fight a bunch of tier 3 Glop Drops in the first room. Either spam Glop Drops that match the level's difficulty or spawn a few overpowered Glop Drops. Spamming a large number of high strength Glop Drops is excessive.

Thu, 07/23/2026 - 09:21

#14

Vyre-Acidlashed

Oh, wow.

I mean, @Leafblader, I'm impressed, but why would you torment yourself like that...?

@Vaultblazer: That's actually a fair point - how many people are just gonna bounce off the game when they get their whole thing rocked by the treasure mimic for the first time? As knowledge checks go, this one's kinda brutal for no good reason if you're not geared up or if you don't know many people to give you notes...

Thu, 07/23/2026 - 16:39

#15

Nitronicx

My melee strategy

I got intrigued by this thread and gave this boss a go with Proto Sword, Cyclocps Helm and Fencing Jacket on Elite. I had to use one spark just before the last few finishing hits. It's definitely easier in Tier 1 than in later Tiers because you can tank more hits.

There is actually a strategy for avoiding some of the annoying attacks of this boss. Unfortunately, it requires aggressive and very dangerous fighting in melee range. Once you manage to get in that range, you can bait the close range tackle attack and don't have to deal with the large AoE attack. This requires tight manoeuvring: you need to get in for the bait and for actually dealing damage, get out so you don't get hit by the tackle, quickly get back in close range so the boss doesn't use the AoE, and, in parallel, avoid attacks from nearby tentacles and Glop Drops swarming around you. This way, you don't have to deal with the AoE all the time and there are no tentacles stopping your shots, but you're very likely to get hit by something. You can use this playstyle either with a sword or a gun (you simply shoot from melee range).

I also did a second run with bombs: 5* Nitronome and 4* shards. I didn't know that bombs are deleted less frequently further away from the boss (thanks to OP for pointing that out). It seems the frequent deleting occurs in the "central square" (marked with different tiles). Just outside of that area, the Nitronome was able to detonate most of the time and still reach the boss. It ended up being quite an okay weapon for this boss. Maybe 4* version would barely reach it, too, but there's no way 0* or 1* bomb could reasonably hit the boss. The range is too short and the central area deletes them way too often. The shards couldn't reach the boss either. Even if the shard bomb was outside the central area, the shard that landed inside would be reliably deleted.

So, there is a way to fight the mimic boss with most other weapons, too. This was my way. With the melee strategy, it even feels like the mechanics are thought out a little, each pushing you towards a risky, but somewhat thrilling dance amidst the obstacles. But that's a very faint feeling at best. Still, terrible boss overall, there's no need for it to be this painful and restrictive.

Thu, 07/23/2026 - 17:09

#16

Vyre-Acidlashed

Research like this is valuable, I think - especially if we're angling at trying to tell GH why it doesn't feel super good for some players. The fact you're able to do it speaks highly of your skill and I don't want to ignore that (as well as the value you got from playing it that way) but I think it's worth asking - do you think a run-of-the-mill player would be able to do this, or is it a battle that depends on veteran-style tricks and nuanced spacing knowledge?

I think it's pretty valuable to hear that last bit about it being risky but satisfying; it makes me wonder if GH did playtest it internally... but with the knowledge of exactly how it works in mind, meaning they're able to play around their own design too easily. It almost sounds like you solved it the "intended way" if you managed to get the mimic to follow your lead like that. I feel like if you're able to play it like this you might have some suggestions on how to relax it's attacks to a point where your approach feels not only natural but easy to "figure out" from the way the fight responds to a player, maybe.

Thu, 07/23/2026 - 18:59

#17

Holy-Nightmare

@Vyre-Acidlashed

IF there is an intended way then I'd arguably say that there really needs to be a tip about it somewhere... numerous other bosses have tips about how to beat them and many showcase how it works in the levels before them

Snarbolax and the Beast Bell, Jelly King and Poison (silkwings show up in the level), Roarmulus twins and the rockets and gates interaction, Vanaduke and the throwable water....

Rather than just leaving it to the player to try to figure out... for example... one of the Tentacles guarding the mimic has a crown.... but killing it does nothing... Bullet Blocking tentacles can still pop up, Bombs still get deleted... AOE still gets spammed....

The boss is just an HP tank with 3 layers of weapon denial around it, stuck behind spammed mini slimes, a brand new block mechanic not even shown in the "Faith in Armor" mission, or the Training hall in Haven... along with even more new unknown stuff for new players AKA the Razors which deal surprisingly massive damage considering their size

Thu, 07/23/2026 - 19:15

#18

Vyre-Acidlashed

Yo, you're right, why *doesn't* it have a monstrous codex beacon somewhere in the stage?

Fri, 07/24/2026 - 08:04

#19

Jcyrano

Nitronicx, thanks for the

Nitronicx, thanks for the info on bombs: "The shards couldn't reach the boss either. Even if the shard bomb was outside the central area, the shard that landed inside would be reliably deleted."
Awww pitty! but that gives important info, the 4* and 5* Mist reach it... meaning:
Voltaic Tempest can be used to clear tentacles fast due the nature of shock status
Ash of Angi as a reliable source of Damage
Venom Veiler to poison them
Stagger Storm to make the attacks more telegraphed
Shivermist Buster, Torpor Tantrum remain situational since can control the area around the 'boss' but the effect on it are somewhat meaningless? (Torpor Tantrum could be used to stop the range wave attack... but, meh?).
That makes Gear like Volcanic Demo Set, Starlit Demo Set more reliable against it than Raw Damage sets like Bombastic Demo Set, Kat Hiss Set, Mercurial Demo Set... it trashes Black Kat (for bombs) although Mad Bomber Set and the overstepping Chaos Set remains as strong options.

This boss and the Compounds are mainly to Contest 'Meta' builds Hard... So hard that it renders (un-intentionally) some weapons useless, while hindering the effectivity of others.

Would DR reach it if well placed? my guess is: 'barely'...

Sat, 07/25/2026 - 19:15

#20

Holy-Nightmare

One other concern is partly

One other concern is partly just in the level name

It's called "Treasure Vault", there's basically a 0% chance any new player is going to pass that up, instead they get baited with a boss that's going to eat their Sparks of Life or force them to abandon their Arcade run

Sure it does give you the option to skip the level at the start, but that's no excuse for the level and boss being that hard....

And genuinely the bomb deleting thing is just a huge middle finger to an entire weapon group for no reason

I can understand trying to be fancy in with a Tier 3 version of the boss... but at Tier 1 all the play negating aspects just isn't good design... it's not fun... so players aren't going to bother

Sun, 07/26/2026 - 12:06

#21

Jcyrano

I agre with Holy... The Mimic

I agree with Holy... The Mimic Could be the recurring Boss we find from time to time in the arcade... But in lower Tiers Shouldn't be overloaded with so many counter mechanics...

Thu, 07/30/2026 - 09:48

#22

Vyre-Acidlashed

In a pleasant enough turn of events it appears that the most recent patch will be reducing the number of minis in the treasure mimic's floor - where, I'm not sure yet, but it's good to know this is getting some attention from the team now.

Thu, 07/30/2026 - 19:09

#23

Holy-Nightmare

@Vyre-Acidlashed

I also have noticed that there hasn't been a Treasure Vault at a super shallow depth in a while.... might just be RNG, or it might be some code tweaks

Thu, 07/30/2026 - 20:21

#24

Kyiia

the boss *is* beatable with

the boss *is* beatable with melee weapons only - you can just deal damage to it with normal attacks through the tentacles, and the aoe attack will be flinched if it takes any damage so you can safely cancel it if you can get into melee range quickly enough. (less generally applicable and obviously not an intended strategy, a well-placed seraphynx laser in the corner can also hit it through the tentacles without causing it to block, and will stunlock it for the duration. my first time fighting it before learning the mechanics, i killed it exclusively with seraphynx)

i usually just use rocket hammer basic attacks to kill it, once you're in melee range it's a fairly straightforward "shield when it attacks and attack when it doesn't" fight (only complicated somewhat by the glop drops that force you to run away to clear them out sometimes - the most dangerous part of the fight is getting into melee range to interrupt the slam before it goes off and the glop drops force you to do that a few times)

since it destroys bombs and blocks projectiles but flinches to melee hits, that seems to be the intended way to beat it, but yeah it's annoying how it seems designed to pigeonhole you into using melee only!

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Treasure Mimic sucks