Bone Worm

The Bone Worm is an undead ranged attacker found in The Desert and The Infinite with one of the most unusual defensive mechanics in the game. Starting with 0 HP and relying entirely on a shield-based health system (up to 8 shield), the Bone Worm is stationary but grows taller each turn by stacking bones onto itself. Each unit of height it gains extends its attack range by one tile, transforming it from a short-range annoyance into a long-range threat if left unchecked. It leaves no corpse when defeated.

The Bone Worm's height mechanic also serves as its primary defense: when struck while tall (height greater than 0), all incoming damage is reduced to just 1 point, but the worm's height decreases by 1. This makes conventional multi-hit attacks inefficient, as each hit only removes one height level regardless of the damage dealt. The Bone Worm essentially trades height for survivability, creating a dynamic where it becomes harder to kill the taller it gets. Its 3 damage per shot is modest individually, but its steadily increasing range means it can eventually reach targets across the entire battlefield.

The most efficient counter to the Bone Worm is shield-bypassing attacks like Poison Nail, which can instantly kill it by ignoring the damage reduction and shield mechanics entirely. If shield-piercing options are not available, hit it early before it builds height, when standard damage still applies. Since it cannot move, closing distance to deliver a killing blow before it grows tall is straightforward. Champions have up to 16 shield and deal 4 damage, with the same height-growth mechanic that makes their range escalate even further. In encounters with multiple Bone Worms, eliminate them before they grow, as several tall Bone Worms firing from extended range creates overwhelming crossfire.