This document specifies the complete enemy roster for Tao Baryon v1.0. Enemies are organized into 6 behavior categories with 24 total variants spread across the campaign sectors. The hybrid formation system combines scripted set-pieces (named liturgical formations) with procedural filler waves.
For physics context of bullet types, see 02_physics_mechanics.md. For density and difficulty curves, see 03_difficulty_curve.md and 00_amendments.md.
| Category | Variants | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Grunts | 5 | Cannon fodder; formation building blocks |
| Strafers | 4 | Horizontal pressure from screen edges |
| Bombers | 4 | Slow, heavy, AoE drops |
| Snipers | 4 | Targeted ranged threats |
| Kamikaze | 3 | Direct charges at player |
| Elites | 4 | Mid-stage challenge spikes |
Total: 24 enemy types
Which enemies appear in which sectors:
| Sector | Grunts | Strafers | Bombers | Snipers | Kamikaze | Elites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Frontier | G1, G2 | S1 | B1 | — | K1 | — |
| 2 Long Reach | G2, G3 | S1, S2 | B1, B2 | Sn1 | K1, K2 | E1 |
| 3 Veil | G3, G4 | S2, S3 | B2, B3 | Sn1, Sn2 | K2 | E1, E2 |
| 4 Ergosphere | G4, G5 | S3, S4 | B3, B4 | Sn2, Sn3 | K2, K3 | E2, E3 |
| 5 Apparatus | G5 | S4 | B4 | Sn3, Sn4 | K3 | E3, E4 |
Older enemies don't disappear in higher sectors — they reappear in tougher contexts, mixed with new variants.
Every enemy has these stats:
Enemies take damage from primary weapon shots, special abilities, collisions (in some cases), and field effects (Anomaly Field, etc.). Some have shielding that must be depleted before HP damage applies.
The backbone of Telos forces. Move in formations, fire predictable shots, easy to kill but dangerous in numbers.
First appearance: Sector 1 (Stage 1) Lore: Standard Telos scouting drones. Lightly armored, autonomous. The cadets' first enemy.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 8 |
| Speed | 0.8× |
| Damage on hit | 8 |
| Bullet type | Pulse |
| Fire rate | 0.5/sec |
| Score | 50 |
| Credits | 5 |
Behavior: Drifts down the screen, fires single Pulse shots at player at predictable intervals.
First appearance: Sector 1 (Stage 3) Lore: Slightly more advanced patrol unit. Has minor armor plating.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 14 |
| Speed | 0.7× |
| Damage on hit | 10 |
| Bullet type | Pulse |
| Fire rate | 0.7/sec |
| Score | 80 |
| Credits | 8 |
Behavior: Holds position briefly before firing burst of 2-3 Pulse shots, then continues moving.
First appearance: Sector 2 (Stage 7) Lore: Light Telos combat unit. Trained in liturgical formation flying.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 22 |
| Speed | 1.0× |
| Damage on hit | 12 |
| Bullet type | Pulse, Spread (alternates) |
| Fire rate | 0.9/sec |
| Score | 120 |
| Credits | 12 |
Behavior: Maintains formation with other Skirmishers, fires alternating Pulse and Spread.
First appearance: Sector 3 (Stage 14) Lore: Specialized formation flyer. Designed for liturgical combat patterns.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 35 |
| Speed | 1.1× |
| Damage on hit | 15 |
| Bullet type | Wave, Spread |
| Fire rate | 1.1/sec |
| Score | 180 |
| Credits | 18 |
Behavior: Coordinates with other Choralites for liturgical formations. Will pulse together in sync with formation members.
First appearance: Sector 4 (Stage 20) Lore: Elite frontline Telos warrior. Designed for sustained engagement.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 55 |
| Speed | 0.9× |
| Damage on hit | 18 |
| Bullet type | Mandala, Spiral |
| Fire rate | 1.0/sec |
| Score | 250 |
| Credits | 25 |
Behavior: Stationary or slow-moving. Fires complex Mandala or Spiral patterns. Threatening solo, devastating in groups.
Move horizontally across the screen, firing as they pass. Force the player to track threats from screen edges.
First appearance: Sector 1 (Stage 4) Lore: Basic Telos strafing unit.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 12 |
| Speed | 1.4× |
| Damage on hit | 10 |
| Bullet type | Pulse |
| Fire rate | 0.7/sec (only when crossing) |
| Score | 70 |
| Credits | 7 |
Behavior: Enters from one screen edge, crosses horizontally, exits the other side. Fires Pulse shots downward at the player while crossing.
First appearance: Sector 2 (Stage 8) Lore: Heavier strafing unit. Designed for sustained passes.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 25 |
| Speed | 1.3× |
| Damage on hit | 12 |
| Bullet type | Spread |
| Fire rate | 0.9/sec |
| Score | 130 |
| Credits | 14 |
Behavior: Crosses with sustained Spread fire. Can pause briefly mid-screen before continuing.
First appearance: Sector 3 (Stage 15) Lore: Veiled designs adopted by Telos. Hunters with strafing tactics.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 40 |
| Speed | 1.5× |
| Damage on hit | 15 |
| Bullet type | Predictive, Wave |
| Fire rate | 1.0/sec |
| Score | 200 |
| Credits | 22 |
Behavior: Adjusts horizontal speed to track player position. Fires Predictive shots at where the player will be.
First appearance: Sector 4 (Stage 21) Lore: Sector 4-era Telos strafer with gravitational manipulation.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 60 |
| Speed | 1.2× |
| Damage on hit | 20 |
| Bullet type | Lensed |
| Fire rate | 1.1/sec |
| Score | 300 |
| Credits | 35 |
Behavior: Fires Lensed bullets that curve unpredictably around invisible gravitational wells. Strafes in irregular patterns.
Slow, heavy, drop AoE projectiles or large slow-moving threats. Force player movement.
First appearance: Sector 1 (Stage 5) Lore: Basic bombing unit. Drops slow-moving AoE projectiles.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 28 |
| Speed | 0.5× |
| Damage on hit | 15 (collision); 20 (AoE bomb) |
| Bullet type | Spread (slow, downward) |
| Fire rate | 0.4/sec |
| Score | 150 |
| Credits | 18 |
Behavior: Drifts slowly downward, periodically drops 3-5 slow Spread projectiles that fan outward.
First appearance: Sector 2 (Stage 10) Lore: Heavier bomber. Drops payloads that explode into multiple smaller projectiles.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 50 |
| Speed | 0.4× |
| Damage on hit | 18 |
| Bullet type | Cascading |
| Fire rate | 0.3/sec |
| Score | 250 |
| Credits | 28 |
Behavior: Drops single large payload that detonates into 8 Pulse projectiles spreading outward. Forces player movement.
First appearance: Sector 3 (Stage 16) Lore: Religious-doctrinal bomber. Drops payloads in sacred-geometry patterns.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 70 |
| Speed | 0.4× |
| Damage on hit | 20 |
| Bullet type | Mandala (large) |
| Fire rate | 0.25/sec |
| Score | 350 |
| Credits | 45 |
Behavior: Drops Mandala-pattern payloads. Slowly rotating geometric formations that expand outward.
First appearance: Sector 4 (Stage 22) Lore: End-game bomber. Drops payloads that generate gravitational lensing effects.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 100 |
| Speed | 0.35× |
| Damage on hit | 25 |
| Bullet type | Cascading + Lensed |
| Fire rate | 0.2/sec |
| Score | 500 |
| Credits | 70 |
Behavior: Drops single massive payload that detonates into 12 Lensed projectiles curving in spiral patterns. Among the most dangerous regular enemies.
Hover at top of screen, fire targeted shots at player. Force player dodging.
First appearance: Sector 2 (Stage 9) Lore: Telos targeting drone. Tracks player position.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 30 |
| Speed | 0.6× (lateral only) |
| Damage on hit | 18 |
| Bullet type | Predictive |
| Fire rate | 0.7/sec |
| Score | 200 |
| Credits | 25 |
Behavior: Hovers at top of screen, moves laterally to maintain firing angle on player. Fires Predictive shots aimed at where the player will be.
First appearance: Sector 3 (Stage 17) Lore: Improved targeting unit. Better predictive math.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 45 |
| Speed | 0.7× (lateral only) |
| Damage on hit | 22 |
| Bullet type | Predictive (faster) |
| Fire rate | 1.0/sec |
| Score | 280 |
| Credits | 35 |
Behavior: Tracks player faster, fires Predictive shots with shorter prediction window. Harder to dodge.
First appearance: Sector 4 (Stage 23) Lore: Sector 4-era sniper. Uses geometric prediction patterns.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 75 |
| Speed | 0.8× |
| Damage on hit | 28 |
| Bullet type | Mandala + Predictive |
| Fire rate | 0.9/sec |
| Score | 400 |
| Credits | 55 |
Behavior: Fires geometric prediction patterns — 3-shot fans aimed at predicted player positions. Threatens by closing off escape routes.
First appearance: Sector 5 (Stage 25) Lore: End-game sniper. Reality-bending targeting.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 120 |
| Speed | 0.7× |
| Damage on hit | 35 |
| Bullet type | Threading |
| Fire rate | 0.5/sec |
| Score | 600 |
| Credits | 90 |
Behavior: Fires Threading bullets — thin precise streams that resemble cosmic strings. Long-range threat with hitscan-like behavior. Must be killed before it can complete its threading pattern.
Charge directly at player. Force evasion. Limited firing.
First appearance: Sector 1 (Stage 2) Lore: Basic kamikaze drone. Aggressive but predictable.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 18 |
| Speed | 1.6× (when diving) |
| Damage on hit | 25 (collision damage) |
| Bullet type | None |
| Fire rate | 0 |
| Score | 100 |
| Credits | 12 |
Behavior: Drifts at top of screen, then accelerates directly toward player's current position. If misses, continues off-screen.
First appearance: Sector 2 (Stage 11) Lore: Heavier kamikaze. Can adjust dive mid-flight.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 30 |
| Speed | 1.4× (dive); 1.0× (cruise) |
| Damage on hit | 30 |
| Bullet type | Pulse (limited, during dive) |
| Fire rate | 0.3/sec |
| Score | 180 |
| Credits | 22 |
Behavior: Slowly tracks player, then commits to dive. Can slightly adjust angle mid-dive. Fires occasional Pulse during dive.
First appearance: Sector 4 (Stage 22) Lore: Late-game kamikaze. Telos pilots committed to sacrifice as religious act.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 55 |
| Speed | 1.8× (dive); 1.2× (cruise) |
| Damage on hit | 40 |
| Bullet type | Cascading (on death) |
| Fire rate | 0 (alive); 1.0/sec (death) |
| Score | 350 |
| Credits | 45 |
Behavior: Tracks player aggressively, dives hard. On death (including failed dive crashing into screen edge), explodes with Cascading projectiles in all directions. Forces defensive play even after kill.
Unique enemies with distinctive sprites, behaviors, and visible elite indicators (halo, aura, prayer-script banner). Drop specific reward categories.
First appearance: Sector 2 (Stage 12 boss vicinity) Lore: Heavy Telos warship, ornate plating, prayer-script banner. Fights in liturgical rhythm.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 250 |
| Speed | 0.7× |
| Damage on hit | 30 |
| Bullet type | Spiral, Mandala |
| Fire rate | Liturgical bursts (3-shot patterns every 2s) |
| Score | 1,500 |
| Credits | 200 |
Drop: Always +500 credits + Pilot XP. 30% chance: 1 Veiled Token.
Behavior: Moves slowly in liturgical patterns. Fires 3-shot Spiral or Mandala bursts at predictable intervals. Telegraph: glowing prayer-script before each burst. Skilled players can interrupt bursts by dealing significant damage during telegraph.
First appearance: Sector 3 (Stage 15+) Lore: Black-and-red plating, predator silhouette. Telos anti-apostate weapon platform.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 320 |
| Speed | 1.3× |
| Damage on hit | 35 |
| Bullet type | Predictive |
| Fire rate | 1.5/sec |
| Score | 2,200 |
| Credits | 350 |
Drop: Always +800 credits + XP. 50% chance: 1 Blueprint Shard. 5% chance: 3 Blueprint Shards.
Behavior: Actively hunts player — adjusts position aggressively to maintain firing angle. Predictive shots that lead the player by full prediction. Will pursue across the screen.
First appearance: Sector 4 (Stage 22+) Lore: Unfolding architectural ship. Sacred geometry as weaponry.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 450 |
| Speed | 0× (stationary once deployed) |
| Damage on hit | 40 |
| Bullet type | Mandala (complex), Spiral |
| Fire rate | 0.6/sec |
| Score | 3,500 |
| Credits | 600 |
Drop: Always +1,200 credits + XP. 25% chance: 1 Module Drop.
Behavior: Arrives stationary in mid-upper screen, unfolds into a large firing platform. Fires geometric Mandala patterns — sacred geometry expanding and contracting. Stationary makes it easy to focus fire but it's heavily armored.
First appearance: Sector 5 (Stage 25+) Lore: Largest non-boss enemy. Speaks in transmissions. End-game elite.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 800 (multi-layered) |
| Speed | 0.6× |
| Damage on hit | 50 |
| Bullet type | All advanced types (Lensed, Cascading, Threading) |
| Fire rate | 1.2/sec (varied patterns) |
| Score | 6,000 |
| Credits | 1,200 |
Drop: Always +2,000 credits + XP. 40% chance: 2-5 Blueprint Shards. 10% chance: 3 rare Veiled Tokens.
Behavior: Multi-layered HP — destroying armor layer reveals new attack pattern. Three layers, three attack styles. Effectively a mini-boss within regular stages. Transmits dialogue when on screen.
For full pattern descriptions, see 02_physics_mechanics.md. Quick reference:
| Bullet Type | Visual | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse | Small bright dot | Straight line, moderate speed |
| Wave | Sine-curving particle | Wavy path |
| Spread | Cluster of 3-5 dots | Fans out from source |
| Predictive | Larger dot, leading marker | Aimed at predicted player position |
| Spiral | Continuous arc | Rotating spiral |
| Mandala | Sacred-geometry formation | Expanding then contracting |
| Cascading | Triggering bullets | Chain patterns |
| Lensed | Curving around invisible wells | Bends visibly mid-flight |
| Threading | Thin streams | Long, precise, cosmic-string-like |
Stages combine scripted set-pieces (named formations) with procedural filler waves.
These are named, recognizable Telos formations that appear in scripted moments. Players learn them, codex entries describe them.
| Formation Name | Composition | Difficulty | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Crescent | 6 G2/G3 grunts in curved line | Easy | 1-3 |
| The Vanguard | 4 G2 + 2 S1 strafers | Easy | 1-2 |
| The Final Chorus | 12 G3 ships in liturgical procession | Medium (boss formation) | 2 |
| The Inquisitor Cohort | 1 E2 + 3 G4 escorts | Medium-Hard | 3 |
| The Hammer of Voren | 4 B2 bombers in cross pattern | Hard | 4 |
| The Veiled Mantle | 4 G4 grunts protecting 1 Sn2 | Medium | 3 |
| The Architect's Witness | 1 E4 + supporting elements | Boss-tier | 5 |
| The Long Doubt | Sparse, lonely, threatening — 1 G5 + 1 Sn4 | Hard | 5 |
Filler waves between scripted formations are generated by a weighted-random algorithm:
example_stage_pool:
sector: 3
difficulty_score: 22
enemy_weights:
grunt_3: 30
grunt_4: 20
strafer_2: 15
strafer_3: 15
bomber_2: 10
sniper_1: 10
wave_size_range: [4, 8]
spawn_pattern: "weighted_random_with_spacing"Endless mode uses only procedural waves. No scripted formations. Algorithm scales enemy pool composition and bullet density with depth.
Each enemy has a base credit value. Modifiers apply:
These values are stored as config files shipped with the binary (client-side only — see 00_amendments.md Amendment 7). Updates require app store releases.
Document version: 1.0 (locked) Part of: Tao Baryon GDD — Tier 2 Content Systems