Part 22: Mini-Update: Baddy Breakdown 1
So, I figured I'd go a little more in-depth about the enemies we've come across so far. I've been skipping most of them when they don't have anything interesting like the Gels or the Spiders. However, each one has their own little unique traits and things they can drop that some folks might be interested in. So, here's a rundown of everything we've come across so far. The enemies down in the Hacker area all disappear after Meta Crab is defeated, so I just quickly ran through it again with an appropriately named 'bot to get screens of them for this.
Mushroom
HP: 5
Megs: 0.1
Run Resist: None
Drops: 150G, 1000G, 7500G
You first start seeing these in the Forest and, understandably, are very simple enemies due to their early appearance. They will either throw their caps or spores at you depending on distance. Pretty low threat enemies.
Mine
HP: 5
Megs: 0.1
Run Resist: None
Drops: 1000G, 7500G, Clean
Like the Mushrooms, Mines are found initially in the Forest and don't have any real tricks to them. It has no real range attacks, but has a bit of a reach by bending over and jabbing with a spike. Otherwise it'll claw at you. Not very threatening, but they move slow and that can drain your Bonus Time.
Rushbird
HP: 10
Megs: 0.2
Run Resist: None
Drops: Cure, Shield 1
First appearing at the River, these enemies are a bit of a step up from the previous two. They're more evasive and move quickly when they go. In addition, they can attack both from long range by spitting eggs and up close by pecking. In addition, after they've pecked your robot, they will always retreat and possibly move to another row on the battlefield. Annoying due to the evasion and runarounds.
Gel
HP: 5
Megs: 0.1
Run Resist: None
Drops: 200G, 1000G, 7500G
Probably one of the more dangerous of the pre-Cave enemies. You can't see them on the map until you get in range, when they pop up out of the ground, making avoiding them difficult. In addition, their long range attack not only just requires them to only be on the same row as you, but has a chance to inflict Stop. Up close, they create a pseudopod and smack you with it. Kill them before they can stick a Stop on you.
Spider
HP: 18
Megs: 0.3
Run Resist: Major
Drops: Clean, Repair, Punch 1
Where Gels are probably one of the most troublesome enemies outside the Cave, Spiders are the most troublesome within them. Like the Gels, their long ranged web-shooting attack can potentially inflict Stop. However, their melee attack is surprisingly powerful, and low-Guard robots can find themselves getting one or two shot even this early in the game. To top it off, they're the first enemy that has that "Run Resist" I've mentioned, taking single-digit damage unless you're using decently-leveled equipment. Shoot them instead and save yourself the hassle.
Cmdr. (Helmet)
HP: 8
Megs: 0.2
Run Resist: None
Drops: 120G, Punch 1, Punch 2
Remember this guy? The very first Hacker type we came across. All the generic Hacker enemies are called "Cmdr." and can be differentiated by their equipment. This one will either take off their helmet and smack your robot with it, or go for a jumping headbutt reminiscent of the Goomba partners in Paper Mario. They ONLY have close-range attacks, so you should be able to kill them easily before they can plink at you. Probably the least threatening enemy you can come across.
Cmdr. (Launcher)
HP: 10
Megs: 0.3
Run Resist: Minor
Drops: 140G, 1000G, 7500G, Cure, Repair, Shot 1, Shot 2
This Hacker type starts showing up in the Cave along with the other new Hacker types. He'll shoot at you with his rockets from any range for a solid amount of damage. Probably about on par with the Spider's melee attack if not moreso. Since they can do this from at range, that makes them rather dangerous to low-Guard robots. Also, they seem to take a bit less damage from Run commands, but will still probably get killed by it. If you're not sure your Run has enough kick to kill him, take him out first and then do a Run afterward to avoid giving him several free shots as he plinks at you. Though, if you're up in his face, he does have a chance to just run away.
Cmdr. (Siren)
HP: 10
Megs: 0.1
Run Resist: None
Drops: None
The Hacker-equivalent of a Medic. This little guy can heal its allies or emit a brilliant flash that hits your robot regardless of location and has a chance to inflict Stop. Low-Power Robots can probably find this little guy will undo a lot of damage if you take on the enemies piecemeal. If you can drop them all with a Run attack, do so to save yourself some trouble. This enemy will also flee, but only if it's the only enemy on the field. As such, you never encounter them without other Hackers.
Cmdr. (Blade)
HP: 25
Megs: 0.3
Run Resist: Major
Drops: 150G, Sword 1
Probably the most dangerous Hacker type you can come across. Has two slash attacks - a normal one and a charged one with a slightly further reach - that can do sizable damage. In addition, they share the Spider's high Run Resistance. Fortunately, their attacks require them to be close, so picking them at range is pretty simple. If you encounter them with others, kill this one first and then do a Run command to finish up. You don't want to be mashing to recover your Charge Gauge with one of these guys bearing down on you.
Meta Crab
HP: 200
Megs: 20.0
Run Resist: Major
Drops: None
I may have chumped Meta Crab by taking out a majority of his health in one shot with an Axe 1 Lv9, but this guy is legitimately dangerous if you come at him unprepared. He can summon Smallcrabs in the two rows he's not in, and he has three different varieties of balls he can fling in sine-waves down the battlefield. Blue ones will just do damage, but yellow can inflict Stop and the purple can apply Rust. He also has a claw attack that will shove you away if you're next to him on his row. Having a Shield is recommended if you have one, and just do what I did - keep above or below him until he moves into a position where you can get his back. Don't use Runs, just smack him normally until he explodes.
Smallcrab
HP: 1
Megs: 0.1
Run Resist: N/A
Drops: None
These little guys' sole purpose is to limit your movement and to go kamikaze on you. Since they only have a single hit point, just smack them if they're in your way. Don't kill them if you don't have to, though. They get turns too, and if you can refill your Gauge fast enough, you can go again after they've moved. This means you can get more than one hit on Meta Crab's back before he retaliates. I don't actually know if they have any Run Resistance, but it hardly matters since any attack will kill them.
It should be noted that the drops for the enemies is based off the top-most enemy. If a capsule drops from the fight, it will be one of the items off their drop list. Also, yes, it IS possible to get 7500G off several of the enemies that have it listed. I actually had one drop for Libra while I was taking these screens - it's just very rare. Should you get it, though, you're probably going to be set for cash for a while. Or ready to do some crafting abuse.
Also. Would you like me to keep these stat blocks in separate little updates like this? Or would you rather I put them in the updates as we come across the enemies?