Elite Buff: Spiky

Internal engine status effect that grants the Spiky elite modifier to regular enemies. Spiky enemies receive +2 Thorns, causing them to deal 2 contact damage to any unit that attacks them in melee or collides with them via knockback. This makes direct physical engagement punishing and encourages ranged strategies against Spiky enemies.

The Thorns damage from Spiky applies to both the attacker when hitting in melee and to both units during knockback collisions. Players should prioritize ranged attacks and spells against Spiky enemies to avoid the retaliation damage. The Boss variant (Elite Buff: Spiky Boss) grants only +1 Thorns to bosses instead of +2, reducing the per-contact penalty against boss-tier enemies.