This post will be separated into several parts. This one covers the basics of the suggested expansion.
The Crimson Order has a deadly plan, which if successful, can easily crush the Spiral Order for good. It could easily backfire on them, but they are desperate and willing to take the chance. They must be stopped at all costs!
The Gremlins have devised several new units to throw at the Spiral Knights:
- Crimson Knockers (Knockers that deal Shadow damage)
- Crimson Thwackers (gremlins with Stable Rocket Hammers and Crimson Guard shields on their backs)
- Crimson Menders (Darkfang Menders with authorization to swing at any knights who get too close)
- Crimson Incinerators (Gremlin Incinerators with all the abilities of Darkfang Scorchers)
- Crimson Demos (Darkfang Demos with Dark Reprisals; they must charge first)
- Crimson Mortafires (Mortafires with Darkfang Shields, no other changes)
- Crimson Ghostmane Stalkers (Ghostmane Stalkers with Strikers, including weapon mechanics)
New gear:
- Dark Striker recipe, 3* cutter upgrade with damage bonus vs. gremlin: vhigh. Resembles the weapon wielded by Phantoms and Void Thwackers. The only real swings propel you forward, but only the phantom swings knock the enemy back the same distance you were propelled forward. All swings of the charge attack interrupt enemies. Mission reward for T1. T2 and T3 get the 4* Shadow Striker and 5* Phantasm recipes, respectively. One must complete the mission in all three tiers in order to obtain the prerequisites for the 5*.
- Tenderfoot Shield recipe, 3* shield with the green-colored Deconstructor crest. Very dirty-looking shield. Mission reward for T1. T2 and T3 get the 4* Ironclaw Shield (identical to current Darkfang Shield) and the 5* Darkfang Shield (very clean-looking, with purple Deconstructor Crest), respectively. See the markings on the menders to see what I mean. Stats must be extrapolated from the current Darkfang Shield. One must complete the mission in all three tiers in order to obtain the prerequisites for the 5*.
- 2* Shrapnel Bomb, shoots 8 shards in 8 directions. 2* has a range of 2 squares, with the range going up by two squares per star for a maximum of 8 squares at 5*. Normal damage. Recipes available at Basil and at the Hall of Heroes; not a mission-related item.
Current owners of a Darkfang Shield will have theirs automatically upgraded to a 5* Crimson Guard shield, which bears the Crimson Order crest. This shield is unique, and is not obtainable except through rare random drops. Its stats are: elemental resistance equal to Owlite, normal resistance equal to elemental, maximum fire and shock resistance, and universal damage bonus low.
I recommend modifying the Darkfang Shield currently on the backs of gremlin models to have the purple Deconstructor Crest on them, in order to remain consistent.
I'm thinking that my Tenderfoot shield should be an upgrade of the 2* Plate shield.
The new enemies are ok I guess but it seems like a bad idea to knock out the other 8 crimson order members in one expansion. Also, what is swam and why can't you come up with an original way of hiding messages?