I may be dead but that doesn't mean I can't still show affection to Spiral Knights.
The Mimic as the name goes is a Battle Sprite that Mimics other attributes and skills of various other existing Battle Sprites with a lesser potency. Aside from models this should be quite easy to implement and should make a lot of people happy too.
"The [Color] Mimic is a Battle Sprite that utilizes various other Battle Sprites attributes and skills."
"Green: Uses much more offensive and utility based attributes."
"Blue: Uses much more defensive and supportive based attributes."
Knights have their choice of choosing what variant of the Mimic they want using whichever color they pick. Each Mimic has a set of two pre-existing skills to pick from when leveling including two choices of an ultimate or one depending on what route they pick:
Skill 1:
Fire Bolt / Choice: Green
⇒ Concussive Firebolt
⇒ Meteoric Firebolt
Ray of Light / Choice: Blue
⇒ Dazzling Light Ray
⇒ Disintegration Ray
Caustic Quills / Choice: Green and Blue
⇒ Vengeful Quills \ Green Only
⇒ Virulent Quills \ Blue Only
Skill 2:
Flame Barrier / Choice: Green
⇒ Scorching Barrier
⇒ Backfire Barrier
Heart Attack / Choice: Green and Blue
⇒ Violent Heart Attack \ Green Only
⇒ Iron Heart Attack \ Blue Only
Shadow Cloak / Choice: Blue
⇒ Vengeful Shadow Cloak
⇒ Deadly Shadow Cloak
Skill 3:
Firestorm / Choice: Green and Blue
⇒ Explosive Firestorm \ Green Only
⇒ Frenzied Firestorm \ Blue Only
Angelic Aura / Choice: Blue
⇒ Seraphic Aura
⇒ Valkyrian Aura
Hexing Haze / Choice: Green
⇒ Chaotic Haze
⇒ Haunted Haze
Although limitations seem strange, this keeps various things under control along with a means of actually picking which one they would want; a more powerful and utilized Battle Sprite or a much more defensive and utility based one.
To keep it from being overpowered I would also suggest decreasing and/or modifying a couple of key numbers by about a 25% decrease in damage or 10% increase in the timer. So there's multiple reasons to have this and not just forever ditch your other ones.
Really quick writing but I hope people enjoy this idea.
Hope things are okay.
I like the idea. I've kinda been wondering how they'd do harnesses, too, with how balanced harnesses are between the current sprites. Brand new sprites would be great, but this would be good too. I had a somewhat similar idea with my "Nexus Star" but people didn't seem to like that too much.
I wouldn't touch the cooldown timer as a nerfing factor, as that makes things less fun to use, and SK should be fun. Though that is the easiest to target, sadly.
I think some scaling would work - resets per day or so. The sprite could actually start off with slightly more potent effects than the other sprites' abilities it is mirroring - but it would gradually and consistently "get tired." The more you use an ability, the less effective it becomes (-dmg, -range, -duration) because your greenieblue gets too pooped out and no amount of feeding will perk him up. (Perk? haha). This would allow for some high-powered, controlled gameplay for a good bit, then you return to your other sprites and continue to have fun.