(Regular) Crawler

There are no standard elite variants of Crawlers, but there are different kinds of Crawlers adapted to each type of hive biome.

Regular Crawlers are the most generic and harmless enemies in hives, and serve as the drones of hive society with almost no defenses. They tend to pop up more or less randomly or cluster together in small groups near eggs. Although they are easily dispatched and not particularly hostile, multiple Crawlers can work together like proverbial piranhas in a feeding frenzy to shred a careless Jumper.

Crystal Crawler

Crystal Crawlers are exclusively found in the Crystal Caverns of hives. They have the ability to launch electric projectiles akin to Tesla Orbs. Their paths are simple and limited, making them easy to eliminate on their own, but their attacks can still pose a noteworthy threat when added to the usual dangers of combat in hives.

Lava Crawler

Lava Crawlers are exclusively found in the Lava Caverns of hives. They have the ability to shoot small jets of fire akin to Flamethrowers. Their paths are simple and limited, making them easy to eliminate or avoid, but their flame attacks can kill Jumpers very quickly with multiple hits or leave survivors with burn damage that can be just as deadly.

Ice Crawler

Ice Crawlers are exclusively found in the Ice Caverns of hives. They have the ability to spew cold gas, dealing a very small amount of damage while also reducing a Jumper's armor. Their paths are simple and limited, but the gaseous nature of their attacks can make it difficult to get past them without slowing down to wait for the attack to dissipate or suffering through the chip damage and status ailment.

Mushroom Crawler

Mushroom Crawlers are exclusively found in the Mushroom Caverns of hives. They have the ability to spread poison gas like the toxic mushrooms found in the same area, dealing constant damage to Jumpers. Their paths are simple and limited, but the gaseous nature of their attacks can make it difficult to get past them without slowing down or suffering from the cumulative damage caused by their poison.

There are regular and elite variants of Soldiers.

Soldiers are the common and simple but nevertheless formidable general frontline attackers in hives. They rely entirely on brute force and melee attacks, but they are big enough to knock Jumpers around and temporarily stun them in addition to being strong enough to force a Jumper to drop the Backpack when hit. They also have enough health to serve as fairly effective meatshields protecting more fragile bugs behind them.

A group of multiple Soldiers can often collectively tank damage from weapons that require more concentrated fire long enough to make a Jumper's weapon overheat or otherwise get their attacks in if the pressure does not make a Jumper retreat. Although they are usually easy to pick off alone or in small groups if a Jumper has enough skill, Soldiers can still juggle a Jumper to death with multiple stunning knockback attacks or similarly bounce a Jumper into other dangers such as spikes, lava pits, and Floater fleets. Even the most experienced Jumpers need to pay attention to the hazards around them no matter how confident they are in taking on the Soldiers themselves.

Much of the threat posed by Soldiers can be mitigated by staying airborne and mobile. Soldiers are at their most dangerous when grounded and in groups shielding other enemies from damage. As long as a Jumper can avoid being backed into a corner or swarmed by multiple enemy types, Soldiers will rarely be a significant threat. Likewise, Jumpers armed with weapons that have large AoE and burst damage are great for countering the somewhat tanky bulkiness of Soldiers.

There are regular and elite variants of Bombardiers.

Bombardiers are stationary enemies that serve as artillery attackers throughout hives. They are large and tanky enough to soak up plenty of damage and knock Jumpers back on contact. Of course, the main danger comes from Bombardiers' ability to launch full volleys of plasma projectiles that can do enough total damage to almost instantly kill a Jumper and put a significant dent in the Backpack.

The danger of Bombardiers is offset by their lack of mobility, and their simple tracking makes it fairly easy to trick them into facing the wrong way if a Jumper can get above or below them. They also have fairly long recovery times between attacks, and Jumpers using weapons with particularly high burst damage can often eliminate regular Bombardiers before the first volley is even fired. For the most part these enemies are easy to deal with on their own, but they often protect chokepoints or block off critical corridors, and it is also possible for their killzones to overlap.

As stationary enemies, new Bombardiers are not spawned from regular points like most Ordovicians. They can be methodically cleared out and typically dealt with alone. The biggest danger around Bombardiers often comes from Jumpers being pressured into their firing range by other enemies.

There are regular and elite variants of Buzzers.

Buzzers are very common generic flying cannon-fodder enemies in hive society. They are fragile enough to be easily eliminated by stray bullets, and regular Buzzers pose practically no threat against any kind of concentrated fire. The main danger when dealing with Buzzers comes from the fact that they tend to swarm in large groups and multiple waves, sometimes with just enough spacing apart from each other to keep pressure on Jumpers even when groups of them are killed at the same time.

In addition to the basic threat of Buzzers swarming around Jumpers and getting in the way of attacks meant for larger and more dangerous targets, the Buzzers themselves also spit acid projectiles. These projectiles usually do little damage and can be avoided easily, but it is damage that can add up quickly. Moreover, the acidic dot effect on top of the base damage of Elite Buzzer projectiles can be particularly dangerous.

For the most part, Buzzers rarely cause any significant problems. A stray Buzzer can be particularly annoying for a Jumper using a weapon with a low rate of fire and swarms often need to be eliminated on sight as fast as possible, but encounters with them are rarely fatal. Either way, Buzzers are among the least of a Jumper's problems as long as they are dealt with before their numbers are completely overwhelming.

There are regular and elite variants of Floaters.

Floaters are moderately common flying enemies with explosive gas sacks, and they are a lot like Jumpers in the sense that their primary purpose is to deliver their explosive payload at any cost. They are usually slow enough to avoid easily and fragile enough to destroy quickly, but they can still be very dangerous since they attack like completely disposable suicide bombers. They are also fairly adept at taking cover until they are close to Jumpers, and they will group together to overwhelm their targets given the opportunity.

Distance and positioning are critical when fighting Floaters as the acid they contain lingers in the air after they die just long enough to still do significant damage to Jumpers. Of course, a Floater that successfully explodes is likely to kill a Jumper in range almost instantly, and more than one swarm of Floaters can put a massive dent in the Backpack if left unchecked. However, non-elite Floaters are also somewhat slow to actually detonate, and usually it is fairly easy for a Jumper to bait Floaters into destroying themselves before they can actually reach their target.

Like most of the common Ordovicians, Floaters are generally a non-issue by themselves, but can quickly become major problems when other enemies prevent a Jumper from dealing with them efficiently. That said, Floaters are also typically the worst enemies to underestimate since their explosive power and acid damage makes for an extremely wicked combination. On the flipside, their self-destructive nature keeps most of that power in check and often allows faster Jumpers to get through Floaters without too much issue.

There are regular and elite variants of Healers.

Healers are extremely similar to Buzzers, but they are far less common and pose practically no threat to Jumpers by themselves. As the name suggests, Healers play a support role in hives by generating auras that restore the health of nearby Ordovicians. It is also worth noting that destroyed Healers will drop purple goo that can be used to restore a Jumper's health.

Multiple Healers can often negate enough damage to each other and their allies to warrant making their elimination a top priority before moving on to other more dangerous targets, especially in boss battles. However, Healers on their own or spread far apart can usually be left for last while Jumpers clear more pressing threats. Of course, it is also advantageous to time the destruction of Healers for when the purple goo they drop is actually needed.

There are technically no elite variants of Lurkers even though they superficially resemble elites with their magenta armor.

Lurkers are stationary enemies that serve as living death traps in hives, dealing enough damage to potentially kill a Jumper instantly with one quick lunge. They are generally uncommon, but they tend to be encountered at very dangerous points and even near doors and chests, effectively making them the "Mimics" of Hive Jump. Lurkers are also extremely resilient enemies that can only be damaged by explosive attacks (and the unique power of the EUV Light).

For the most part, a Lurker is only a threat to a hasty or careless Jumper. Despite their high damage potential, the actual danger of Lurkers is counterbalanced by the fact that Jumpers can safely run past them during the extensive recovery time between their attacks. The timing required to bait a Lurker's attack and avoid the damage completely is not particularly demanding, so the presence of these enemies is generally a non-issue as long as a Jumper does not let their situational awareness lapse around other enemies and hazards.

As stationary enemies, new Lurkers are not spawned from regular points like most Ordovicians. They can typically be dealt with alone or even ignored, but they can also soak up enough damage to delay Jumpers significantly. Either way, Lurkers are excellent at both destroying distracted Jumpers and distracting Jumpers long enough for other threats to add up.

There are no elite variants of Laughing Stalkers, but they are roughly as dangerous as area bosses.

The Laughing Stalker is a unique entity that acts as a relatively neutral but nevertheless hostile force in hives. These rare ghostlike beings exclusively haunt dark layers of hive environments, and the areas they are found in will be mostly abandoned aside from stationary enemies such as Bombardiers and Lurkers. In this way, the presence of a Laughing Stalker is like a redistribution of the hive's threat, effectively concentrating the vast majority of the danger normally posed by swarms of Ordovicians into one almost-unstoppable enemy.

A Stalker will constantly track a Jumper throughout a hive and freely float through walls in addition to warping around at will. It is not difficult at all for a Stalker to intercept a Jumper, and these beings possess immense power capable of instantly killing a Jumper even through an Overshield in one attack. Of course, the damage Stalkers can do to the Backpack is also nothing to scoff at.

Due to the extreme threat posed by a Stalker, it is often best to focus on evading and outrunning one even if a Jumper is well-equipped to fight with rapid-fire and high burst damage attacks. Although Stalkers are somewhat slow, they are also very adept at catching up to their prey by ignoring physics and boxing in Jumpers when they stand their ground for a little too long. Likewise, a Stalker cannot be permanently eliminated; it can only be delayed and inconvenienced. Dealing enough continuous damage to a Stalker will count as a technical kill and make it go away temporarily, but these relentless enemies return in about 20 seconds after being superficially defeated.

Crushers serve as the area bosses of Crystal Cavern environments in hives. Each Crusher occupies a long chamber with a "King-of-the-Hill" platform in the middle surrounded by hazardous pits and destructible platforms. Like all boss Ordovicians, Crushers can periodically call in reinforcements if given the opportunity.

Crushers are brute-force attackers that rely on upfront melee strength and powerful stunning knockbacks to eliminate their targets. In addition to its close-range swipes and ramming charges, a Crusher is also large and strong enough to shake the entire chamber and knock Jumpers off of its platform or cause dangerous rock stalactites to rain down from the ceiling. However, all of these attacks are clearly telegraphed and easily avoided by staying airborne or otherwise keeping a reasonable distance.

Crushers are so heavily armored that it is often pointless to attack them from the front, but they are always vulnerable to back attacks and they do occasionally rear up to expose a weak spot on the belly before attacking at close range. The most reliable method of dealing with a Crusher is to bait it into constantly using ramming charges by flying from one end of the center platform to the next, shooting the enemy from behind each time it charges before it can turn around. It is also possible to manipulate these aggressive enemies into getting stuck in near-infinite loops of ramming charges, although a Jumper with extremely high burst damage potential might find it faster to get up close and destroy the Crusher's underside.

Harvesters serve as the area bosses of Mushroom Cavern environments in hives. Each Harvester blocks off a long corridor leading away from a somewhat small chamber that might have spikes, bouncing mushrooms, or ledges on the walls, making an arena that practically forms the Harvester's shooting range and dining area. Like all boss Ordovicians, Harvesters can periodically call in reinforcements if given the opportunity.

A Harvester relies mostly on plasma projectile attacks, frequently unleashing spinning waves or sweeping lines from its tail, and occasionally launching slow but massive and powerful spheres akin to those of a Plasma Charger. Sometimes a Harvester will also rear up and use a unique swallowing attack that will fill much of the lower arena and envelop any target caught in its path, most likely killing a Jumper instantly in addition to temporarily consuming the Backpack and briefly disrupting its signal until the Harvester spits it back out. All of a Harvester's attacks are fairly predictable and give a clear indication of where Jumpers need to move to stay safe, but poor timing and restricted freedom of movement or failure to immediately eliminate reinforcements can easily spell disaster due to how quickly the damage from each projectile adds up.

The Harvester's tail is its weak spot, and even though it moves its tail around sometimes, it is usually an easy target to focus on. One of the most reliable ways to deal with a Harvester is to simply stay at a medium distance and methodically dodge the patterns of its attacks while alternating between attacking the tail and destroying any reinforcements that show up. For a slightly more advanced approach, it is also possible to position a Jumper just between the front of the Harvester and the ~muzzle~ of its tail to avoid most if not all of its projectile attacks while maximizing the damage dealt to the tail.

Scorchers serve as the area bosses of Lava Cavern environments in hives. Each Scorcher resides in a chamber that is almost completely flooded by lava with only two spaces of fragmented floating platforms for a Jumper to safely stand on, surrounded by lava on both sides and between the platforms and effectively giving the Scorcher three spaces to use. Like all boss Ordovicians, Scorchers can periodically call in reinforcements if given the opportunity.

Scorchers are mixed attackers capable of launching slow but powerful homing acidic projectiles in addition to breathing jets of fire that can quickly shred a Jumper's health and a Backpack's durability from the base damage alone, to say nothing of the persistent burn damage that might result in the aftermath. Scorchers might also occasionally clip a Jumper as they fly around or splash some lava onto a Jumper throughout the course of a fight. The nature of the Scorcher makes its attacks easy to deal with individually, but the cumulative hazards of the environment combined with the Scorcher's assault can be very brutal.

On top of its versatile offense and regular calls for reinforcements, the Scorcher is also relatively adept at stalling and surprising its targets. Scorchers routinely dive into the lava and randomly surface in another part of the chamber, flying and attacking for some time, only to change position again at a whim. Moreover, every time a Scorcher arises from the lava, it emerges with a protective shell that Jumpers must destroy before any damage can be dealt to the Scorcher itself. Of course, it almost goes without saying that the most reliable approaches for fighting the Scorcher are to either prepare for a diligent and drawn-out fight or go in with maximum burst damage and clear the enemy before it can even try to stall.

Caretakers serve as the area bosses of Ice Cavern environments in hives. Each Caretaker occupies a long vertical tower chamber typically lined with regular and explosive eggs with some hazardous spikes at the top, and the Caretaker itself creates temporary unique frozen platforms as it crawls up and down its domain. Like all boss Ordovicians, Caretakers can periodically call in reinforcements if given the opportunity.

Caretakers are mostly defensive, and they generally rely on their unique ability to alternate the armor covering their different weakpoints while they stay on the move constantly to make it difficult for enemies to attack them while their reinforcements do most of the actual fighting. However, they are not completely passive, and Caretakers will periodically launch large amounts of unstable explosive eggs from any exposed weak spot of their body, essentially making the very act of attacking them a high-risk endeavor depending on the timing. Although these attacks are clearly telegraphed and indicated by a change in color on the Caretaker's body, the circumstances of the fight can easily lead a Jumper to a quick death since it is easy to get backed into a corner or boxed in if one gets even slightly carried away dealing damage without regard for the surroundings.

The nature of the Caretaker fight essentially boils down to an upward siege, going from platform to platform or staying airborne in general while navigating around defenses or just plain breaking through when a weak spot is exposed. It is fairly simple to take cover and deal with enemy reinforcements throughout the fight, but the slightest lapse can also cost Jumpers a lot of time if they fall to the bottom from overextending their flight time or get trapped by the numerous shifting obstacles and enemies that get in the way during combat. The most reliable approach in this fight is to use indirect attacks that can effectively damage the Caretaker without putting a Jumper in the line of fire constantly, but concentrated burst damage is also an excellent option despite the Caretaker's defenses due to how slow it is overall.

There are no elite variants of Queens, but there is a special Queen fight that differs significantly from the usual encounters.

Queens are the ultimate bosses overseeing all operations of a hive, and they are not bound to any one domain, so the depth of a hive rather than the environment is a better indicator of when one is likely to be encountered. Each Queen occupies a vast chamber with a couple of ledges and aerial platforms but otherwise little else to protect the Jumper in a room that is almost entirely shaped to the Ordovicians' advantage. Of course, the Queen will frequently fill the room with an extraordinary number of reinforcements, typically spawning enemies in groups of about three at around six points across the chamber.

A Queen is an especially formidable foe, boasting attacks reminiscent of area bosses in addition to unique attacks of her own and a massive healthpool that can take a long time to deplete even if her extensive armor does not constantly get in the way. Queens can swipe at enemies with their enormous claws and shake the entire area to rain down rock stalactites like Crushers, unleash extraordinarily long arrays of plasma projectiles that almost fill the entire chamber like Harvesters, launch explosive volleys like Caretakers, and shoot powerful concentrated sweeping lasers that make a Scorcher's fire breath look like a joke. Additionally, Queens can also manipulate the terrain right beneath a Jumper with a homing attack that will impale them if they cannot stay airborne and mobile in general, shoot massive conical beam attacks, and even generate a powerful psychic wave to induce a special confusion-like effect that reverses a Jumper's movements.

The Queen fight is hectic, and every attack is incredibly deadly even though the aerial platforms and ledges provide just enough cover to avoid damage and protect the Backpack in dire situations. Meanwhile, the chamber itself is so large that relying on these defensive options too much will cost a lot of time and potential damage against the Queen, especially if her reinforcements include swarms of Healers as they often do. Of course, the size of the Queen's residence also gives Jumpers plenty of space to fly through and avoid most of her attacks once the patterns of the Queen become familiar. Likewise, it is far from a hopeless battle since the Queen has few attacks that are spontaneous enough to effectively result in random deaths, although it is best to avoid flying directly in front of the Queen's face since the large concentration of her projectile attacks around her head can immediately kill a Jumper and shred most of a Backpack's durability with poor timing.

Aside from the overall dynamics of attacking and defending throughout the course of combat against a Queen, the Queen fight itself involves the unique opportunity to either fight the boss normally or arm a nuke and protect the payload until it can detonate and instantly win the battle. It is generally easier and faster to use the nuke, and choosing to do so essentially allows the fight to be treated like an extraordinarily dangerous ambush room with one central point to defend. Of course, focusing on the Queen herself is not unlike going through a boss rush in an ambush room. Regardless of whether one chooses to kill a Queen with the nuke or capture her upon defeat in regular combat, the fight carries out and escalates in much the same way.

Because of the quantity of enemies in the Queen fight and the size of the chamber, the most reliable general method of getting through the queen fight is to use weapons with large AoE attacks and/or status effects to make sure that damage can be dealt to multiple targets at all times. Of course, striking a balance between survivability and burst damage is also ideal if a Jumper is not going to rely on the nuke. It is also worth noting that the Queen's armored front claws can be broken with explosives (or the EUV Light), so that might be an objective to consider depending on how things go. In any case, the Queen fight is simply the battle that brings everything together and demands basic situational awareness above just about everything else, and it is not too difficult to get through even with a poorly-optimized loadout as long as a Jumper does not get distracted or rush it too much.

As for the special Queen fight, the overall situation and approach to dealing with it is largely the same, although Jumpers will have to keep an eye out for additional homing projectiles and manage their attack timing more effectively than usual. However, for most purposes, the special Queen fight can just be thought of as a regular Queen fight with an additional attack and recovery phase periodically mixed in. Like most enemies and attacks, the extra threat can be treated as one more danger to either evade or temporarily neutralize, and in many ways it is not unlike dealing with a much weaker and more forgiving Laughing Stalker while fighting the Queen in terms of the overall flow of this special Queen fight.

Ordovician hives are mostly constructed with combinations of areas from four different specialized types of biomes. Each environment is generally made up of three layers in the hive's overall structure. The first two layers of an environment consist of regular hive caverns corresponding to the biome, and the third layer will contain the area boss chamber, an ambush room, or a Queen encounter if the hive is deep enough.

The vast majority of hive environments are arranged into branching networks of rocky tunnels with destructible rock often blocking off peripheral areas and large groups of eggs. The destructible rock can be cleared with explosive force or the unique power of the EUV Light to allow Jumpers full access to a hive. However, there is always at least one path from the entrance to the exit that is completely unobstructed.

The exit of a regular hive cavern is always found on the bottom-most level of a layer. In area boss rooms, the exit will appear at the far right of the chamber, whereas the location of an ambush room exit is random. Successful Jumpers at the end of a hive will be beamed out upon completion of their mission.

Aside from the randomly-constructed cave systems of regular hive layers, there are also Relic Rooms with fixed layouts found throughout hives. Relic Rooms share the same environmental nature and hazards of the hive biome they are connected to. Every Relic Room is guaranteed to contain a Relic Chest, and sometimes there will also be an NPC present taking refuge in the room until rescue comes. Relic Chests contain large caches of goo and special Relics that grant various passive bonus effects that last through the entire hive.

Relic Chests are also occasionally found in regular hive caverns. In addition, there are many smaller supply chests containing grenades or goo scattered throughout hives. Other than these Jumper-friendly treasures, the areas in hives are mostly filled with enemy spawners, eggs, and of course the Ordovicians themselves.

Beyond the environment-specific dangers of each biome, hive caverns in general also contain numerous common hazards. These include deadly Spikes that can instantly kill a Jumper impaled by them most of the time, Purple Eggs that explode on contact but also provide purple goo that can heal Jumpers, and Plasma Turrets that line hive walls and shoot dangerous plasma projectiles. Furthermore, even though they are not necessarily hazardous, there are also unstable platforms that will crumble under a Jumper's weight.

Finally, it is also worth noting that there are dark layers as well as dark Relic Rooms in hives. The lack of visibility in these areas can be somewhat counterbalanced by weapons' fire or the general light of the jetpack and Backpack, but otherwise Jumpers must do the best they can with minimal illumination. Moreover, there is a possibility that a rare enemy known as the Laughing Stalker will be encountered in relatively abandoned dark layers, almost making for a completely different environment.

The Crystal Caverns are officially described as the power plants of hive territory. Crushers serve as area bosses in these hive biomes. Specific hazards in this environment are corrosive Acid Pools and two types of Energy Crystals which either periodically launch fragments that can damage Jumpers or emit powerful fields that can knock a Jumper back and force a Backpack drop.

The Lava Caverns are officially described as multi-purpose furnaces of hive territory used to support and strengthen the Ordovician armies. Scorchers serve as area bosses in these hive biomes. Specific hazards in this environment are Floating Platforms that will sink into the lava under weight, the Lava Pools themselves, and both Lava Jets that periodically erupt from the Lava Pools as well as stray Lava Flares that also burst out of various bodies of lava.

The Ice Caverns are officially described as the cold-storage facilities of hive territory, filled with reserve eggs. Caretakers serve as area bosses in these hive biomes. Specific hazards in this environment are Frozen Platforms that are slick and icy enough to interfere with a Jumper's speed and control for better and worse, Cold Gas that reduces Jumper armor resulting in greater damage taken from attacks, and Ice Stalactites that fall on Jumpers directly below them.

The Mushroom Caverns are officially described as the food production facilities of hive territory. Harvesters serve as area bosses in these hive biomes. Specific hazards in this environment include Poison Mushrooms that spray toxic gas clouds when a Jumper walks nearby and Muddy Pools that can hide enemies and slow Jumpers down despite not being dangerous on their own. There is also a type of Bouncy Mushroom that will launch Jumpers like a spring when they land on its surface.

Darkness

Hives are already fairly hazardous even with high visibility, so it is definitely worth watching out for the dangers that might be lurking in the darkness. From the small patches of dark areas in regular hive caverns to the entire dark layers and dark Relic Rooms that are occasionally found throughout hives, there are many places where Jumpers can easily be killed by hidden enemies and hazards. Furthermore, there is also the possibility that the Laughing Stalker will be encountered in a dark layer, making the darkness that much more hazardous in general.

Plasma Turrets

The walls of several areas in hives are lined with green spiky Plasma Turrets that periodically fire off projectiles along linear paths. These cactus-like objects will damage Jumpers on contact, and the plasma projectiles are fired frequently enough that it requires moderately precise timing to jump or fly through without taking damage. Luckily, the damage is fairly small either way, but the total damage from multiple Plasma Turrets can add up quickly.

Purple Eggs

Purple Eggs are unstable and will explode on contact, potentially killing a Jumper instantly. When a Jumper attacks a Purple Egg, the explosion will also clear any nearby destructible walls as well as damage Ordovicians caught in the blast. Purple Eggs are ultimately as beneficial as they are hazardous, especially since the purple goo they contain can restore a Jumper's health.

Rock Stalactites

Rock Stalactites are technically not independent terrain hazards as much as parts of certain enemy attacks. However, it is possible for these falling objects to rain down and damage Jumpers like other terrain hazards nonetheless. This is really only something that Jumpers need to watch out for during the Queen and Crusher fights, unlike the Ice Stalactites found in other situations.

Spikes

The deadly Spikes found lining various tunnels throughout hives are common death traps that can instantly kill a Jumper. However, the number of Spikes and the speed of a Jumper factor into the damage. It is possible to avoid damage completely by landing on Spikes with proper timing and positioning, and Jumpers can also safely walk through Spikes on the floor or fly up through Spikes lining the walls.

Acid Pools

The Acid Pools exclusively found in Crystal Caverns are highly corrosive. Jumpers will take continuous damage as long as they are in contact with the liquid. Furthermore, an acid dot effect will linger for a brief time doing additional damage even after escaping an Acid Pool.

Energy Crystal (Field)

There are pulsing Energy Crystals in the Crystal Caverns that will periodically emit powerful electromagnetic fields that can force a Jumper to drop the Backpack in addition to knocking the Jumper back, often into an Acid Pool to add injury to insult. The AoE of this force is moderate yet generally avoidable and the energy field burst is clearly telegraphed before it occurs, but the effect can have a huge impact on the mission. It is especially important to carefully time the retrieval of a Backpack if it is dropped near one of these Energy Crystals, as they discharge frequently enough to practically trap a Jumper in a dangerous loop of repeatedly getting knocked back just before the Backpack can be successfully brought out of harm's way.

Energy Crystal (Fragments)

There are unstable Energy Crystals in the Crystal Caverns that will periodically fire electrically charged fragments that can deal significant damage to Jumpers caught in the line of fire. The range of these Energy Crystals is fairly short and the damage is generally easy to avoid with a basic degree of timing. However, they are often clustered together and positioned at critical chokepoints.

Lava Flares

Many of the bodies of lava found throughout the Lava Caverns will occasionally spurt out small Lava Flares that can splash onto Jumpers for a small amount of damage in addition to leaving those hit with burn dot effects. Although these Lava Flares are a little more difficult to avoid than the simple and linear Lava Jets in terms of positioning, they are more or less just as predictable in terms of timing. Furthermore, most Lava Flares only occur in a couple of different patterns from the same point of origin, so it is still generally easy to avoid them as long as a Jumper has enough freedom of movement to get the positioning right.

Lava Jets

There are long Lava Jets that will periodically erupt from the many bodies of lava found throughout Lava Caverns in hives, and it is not rare for multiple Lava Jets to be grouped together and erupt simultaneously or in sequence. The Lava Jets are very dangerous in terms of outright damage, since they can repeatedly hit Jumpers in addition to leaving them with burn dot effects. However, the eruptions are actually very predictable and usually have extensive delays between repeated sequences, so they are easily avoided with the right balance of speed and patience.

Lava Pools and Floating Platforms (or Sinking Platforms)

The Lava Pools exclusively found in Lava Caverns are exactly what most people would expect, and falling into them usually means a very quick death for a Jumper. Even if one escapes contact with the Lava Pool, a burn dot effect will linger for some time doing additional damage. Many Lava Pools do have Floating Platforms that Jumpers can safely land on to avoid the numerous fiery hazards around them, but these platforms will quickly sink into the Lava Pools they float on under a Jumper's weight, so it is important to only land on them briefly or periodically jump to give them a chance to fully rise above the surface.

Cold Gas

Many areas of the Ice Caverns in hives are filled with Cold Gas clouds that have such exceptionally low temperatures that Jumpers passing through them will be afflicted with an ice dot effect. This effect reduces defense and accordingly results in taking more damage from enemy attacks, although it does no damage on its own and does not take long to recover from. This hazard is almost never an issue by itself, but it is so common in the Ice Caverns that it effectively makes the enemies found throughout the biome that much more dangerous indirectly.

Frozen Platforms

Many surfaces in the Ice Caverns form Frozen Platforms that are not inherently dangerous, but can easily lead to losses of control or changes in speed that result in great harm to a Jumper. Of course, iced paths can also be used to a Jumper's advantage or generally ignored by staying airborne, but there is always a hazardous balance of risk and reward involved. The area bosses known as Harvesters are also capable of creating unique Frozen Platforms as they crawl along their chambers.

Ice Stalactites

There are often numerous Ice Stalactites hanging from the tops of the Ice Caverns in hives, and every one of them is a hazard that will immediately fall when a Jumper passes underneath. It is usually easy to avoid them and they do not deal much damage even when a Jumper fails to dodge, but like every danger in a hive, it is usually best not to let the small threats add up. It is also important to note that Ice Stalactites will trigger explosions if they fall on Purple Eggs, and flying into them will usually result in damage even if they do not appear to fall.

Bouncy Mushrooms

The distinct Bouncy Mushrooms found in the Mushroom Caverns of hives are completely non-hazardous on their own. In fact they can be very useful for evading enemy attacks and attacking enemies while staying airborne without relying on jetpacks. However, Bouncy Mushrooms can of course be indirectly hazardous to Jumpers launching off of them when they are close to Purple Eggs, Spikes, Poison Mushrooms, or enemy swarms.

Muddy Pools

The Muddy Pools found throughout the Mushroom Caverns in hives are not inherently hazardous. However, they do reduce visibility enough to hide enemies inside of them, and Jumpers moving through them will be significantly slowed down. It is even somewhat difficult to jump or jetpack free quickly, so it is often advantageous to avoid contact with these Muddy Pools entirely even though they do not damage Jumpers.

Poison Mushrooms

The Mushroom Caverns of hives are filled with numerous types of fungi, including large purple Poison Mushrooms that act like proximity mines, expelling multiple clouds of toxic gas with a medium AoE all around the mushroom. The poison does little damage on its own, but not so little that it can be ignored completely. Luckily, there is a fairly long delay after a Poison Mushroom releases its gas before more poison can be unleashed, so it is possible to effectively bait and dodge the poison to safely run past the Poison Mushroom as soon as the clouds dissipate.