Seventy percent of the menagerie gone in that counterattack!
The shield wardens flicked their shields back on and stood, then linked up with Improved Shield Brother again. Ready for the next attack.
What remained of the menagerie fought on.
That was the one in our one-two punch, Kaiden thought. We have to break through with the follow-up. But hitting the shield wardens head-on only strengthens the force overall.
“So we don’t hit them head-on,” Kaiden said aloud.
“What’s up?” Zelda asked, running beside him.
“Blast wardens!” Kaiden called, jumping into the comm channel for the free wardens battlegroup. “Aim above their front line with Improved Kinetic Grenade. Don’t hit the shielders; arc your attacks over them. Commanders, relay that to your ranged fighters as well. Anybody with arcing ranged attacks. We’re not hitting these guys head-on.”
He got the order off just before the bulk of the charge reached the warden front lines. A volley of grenades from the free blast wardens arched over and exploded among the ranks of power wardens and the few enhanced wardens. None died, but Kaiden could see waves form among them as they ducked away from the explosions.
Maximus’ gravity slingers opened up with their ranged attacks and rocks flew through the air, raining down on the warden army with concussive force.
Ability: Kinetic Velocity
A ranged attack that deals moderate damage.
Other attacks that looked magical in nature and even some good old-fashioned plasma grenades soared across the front line and into the enemy ranks. Return fire from the warden ranks came right back. Improved Kinetic Grenades first, then a wave of Improved Warden’s Bolts, and even a few Improved Paralyzing Shots. Lightning slammed into the front ranks, but then fizzled, finding only a few secondary targets. Kaiden had arranged his force in separated cells for just this reason, ensuring enough of a gap that the chain effect of Warden’s Bolt was less effective. One of their few advantages was space; while their opponents were clustered around the gate, their own attack formations could be much more fluid.
And then the two armies met.
Shielders slammed into shielders at the center, and on the flanks cybernetic knights and brawlers, gravity slingers and even a few classes Kaiden had yet to identify crashed into the warden force. It was like two great waves slamming into each other, only instead of water, they were made out of armor and bodies and explosions.
The command module began frantically updating battlegroup numbers as the first heavy casualties came in, mainly among the free wardens and Maximus elite. The flanks lit up as well, though, as the rest of The Syndicate force met the warden foe.
Abilities fired off on all sides. The Maximus members seemed to know what they were doing as their gravity slingers lashed out.
Ability: Gravity Well
A crowd-control ability that creates a strong gravity field around an object within 40 feet.
Kaiden’s visor went wild trying to give details as a dozen Gravity Wells appeared in the air above the shielders. Many were sucked up toward them, leaving gaping holes in the line behind them. The power wardens and enhanced wardens directly behind the shielders were swept up too and sucked ten paces into the air by the swirling pinpoints of super density.
The warden formation broke in several spots, a large number of its soldiers suspended in the air amid swirling debris, discarded weapons, and the corpses of the menagerie. Then, all at once, the Gravity Wells dissipated and those caught in their grasp were dropped, slamming back to the ground and taking no small amount of fall damage.
The Maximus elite weren’t stopping there, though. Kaiden couldn’t help but admire their proficiency as the brawlers and cybernetic knights leapt into the air.
Ability: Launch
High dexterity launches the user high into the air.
Ability: Meteoric Launch
Player launches into the air. Landing deals AoE damage, and the next attack deals additional damage.
They vaulted over the shielders, then landed among the ranks of the warden army – the cybernetic knights with explosive landings – and attacked anyone near them. Flames exploded outward. Magma oozed on the ends of weapons. The ground shook with the impacts of attacks on shields, attacks on armor, and sometimes attacks on exposed flesh.
Ability: Fiery End
A high-damage attack. On a successful hit, the target is set on fire.
Ability: Melt
A powerful strike that bypasses armor and shields.
A flood of damage poured into the backs of the shielders and the fronts of the power and enhanced wardens that had stepped up to engage the trespassers. The Maximus elite had the advantage of not needing to build charge before attacking, though, so for the moment, they had the edge. Kaiden watched as they landed attack after attack, looking for any gaps that would allow them access to the gate. Move too soon and they would be trapped in the middle of the warden force. The Maximus players fought on, many laughing as they threw out their attacks.
Ability: Wind-Up Swing
A slow but powerful attack that requires a wind-up. Deals direct and knockback damage on a successful hit.
Ability: Concussive Strike
A forceful strike that travels along the ground for a short distance, dealing direct and knockback damage to any enemy in its path.
The wardens without Intransigence were launched into the air, flung into the ranks of The Syndicate army where they were overwhelmed, or knocked backward to cause havoc for the Sniper Moded blast wardens in the rear.
The chaos in the warden ranks was a plus, but the front line, despite the holes in it, was largely still holding. Gaps appeared but were immediately plugged. The shield wardens finally activated Improved Barrier, creating glowing domes that held back any further attacks while the power wardens brawled with the Maximus members who’d broken into their lines.
Ability: Mass x Acceleration
A high-damage melee attack that deals damage based on the user’s level and dexterity.
Several Maximus gravity slingers bold enough to be on the front lines lashed forward with their devastating melee attacks. In a couple of
