Minion

**Minions**are small magical humanoid enemies encountered in Beneath. They make their first appearance in Caves II.

## Description

Minions are small magical humanoid monsters that appear to be either emaciated or elderly. They are hunched over and use their staffs to help them walk. They wear a loincloth, but their most notable feature is their helmet. It covers the upper part of their head and has orange stripes on top and eyeholes in the front.

Minions will aimlessly roam the area they are in or lean on its staff and stay idle. When in combat, the Minion will attempt to walk towards the player until they get into their range. From there, they will use a continuous stream of magic to attack the player. When in the presence of Giant Mages, the Beast or the Necromancer, they will cast protective magic onto them, preventing them from being damaged.

## Abilities and Powers

* **Staff Beam:** When the Minion gets into range of the player, it will raise its staff and deliver a dangerous magical red beam directed towards the player. Unlike the Crystal Crab's beam, this is a continuous beam which makes it significantly more dangerous. This beam does low damage per hit, but it can hit the player at a very fast rate because the Minion tracks the beam towards the player if they move. After a number of seconds, the Minion will stop shooting the beam. They will walk away with their staff for a cooldown before they prepare to attack again.
* **Tactical Retreat:** After firing their beam, the Minion will slowly walk away from the player and attempt to escape the combat. This will end after a handful of seconds where the Minion will go back to attacking as normal.
* **Protective Barrier:** Due to the hierarchy of monsters in Beneath, the Minion will attempt to protect Giant Mages, the Beast or the Necromancer at all costs. By casting a protective spell directly onto a Giant Mage, Giant Mages under the influence of a Minion's magic will be encased in a red spherical shield that is impossible to penetrate. For as the long as the Minion is alive, the shield will be active. This is most commonly seen in Shops where a friendly Minion will protect the entrance from monsters.

## Strategy

* The best way to deal with the staff beam is to just find cover and wait until the attack subsides. Occasionally the Minion can shoot through walls, so this is not always viable. Another method is to strafe the beam and run around the Minion while it fires. The third option is to rush the Minion and kill it in one hit with a strong weapon before it can attack. The fourth option is to crouch right in front of the Minion while it fires its beam.
* After the Minion attacks, it will slowly hobble away from the player as it waits for its cooldown. They are completely vulnerable to any damage and lack any melee attack against the player.
* The first priority in any room filled with Minions and Giant Mages should always be the Minions, as the Giant Mages are invincible under their magic.
* Sharp weapons are particularly effective against Minions, especially if aimed at the legs.

## Trivia

* They are one of the few enemies that can assist other enemies in combat.
* The Pyro, one of the Shard Lords, is a larger and stronger variant of the Minion.
* They are one of the few enemies who will not move towards their target all the time.