Cultist Zealot

The Cultist Zealot is a fanatical enemy that grows more dangerous with each passing turn. It performs multi-stab attacks that can hit multiple times per action, and gains +1 damage at the end of each turn, meaning its output escalates rapidly the longer the fight continues. Cultist Zealots are encountered alongside other cult-type enemies and share the cult faction's aggressive, self-destructive combat philosophy.

When reduced to low HP, the Cultist Zealot becomes even more frenzied and dangerous rather than retreating. This suicidal escalation means a wounded Zealot is often more threatening than a fresh one, as its desperation combines with accumulated damage bonuses from the +1 per turn mechanic. Leaving a Zealot at low HP without finishing it off is one of the worst possible outcomes in combat.

Cultist Zealots should be eliminated as quickly as possible. Their damage scaling means every extra turn they survive makes them proportionally more dangerous. Burst damage is essential to kill them cleanly rather than leaving them wounded and frenzied. If you cannot burst one down immediately, use crowd control, knockback, or displacement to keep it away from your cats while you deal with other threats, then finish it off before its accumulated damage becomes overwhelming.