Enemy Trait Descriptions

All enemies in Shadow Warrior 2 spawn with a pseudo-random selection of traits that are listed under their health bar when "All Information" or "Basic Information" is selected in the HUD section of the game's settings. This guide explains what they do.

Some traits can be auras. An aura will apply the trait in question to all nearby enemies, who will have the trait listed under their health bar as a non-aura. Only the aura-giver will have "Aura" after the trait's name.

These traits are only visible when using the "All Information" HUD setting. They just indicate the 'type' or 'species' of the enemy. As far as I know, there are no actual mechanics related to different enemy types.

• Animal
  
• Human
  
• Cybernetic
  
• Demon
  
• Boss

Some weapon mods increase or decrease a weapon's damage to Small, Large, Superior and/or Elite enemies. Small is not explicitly listed under an enemy's health bar, it just means the mod affects enemies that aren't Large, Superior or Elite.

• Large
  
  • Physically bigger, more health, faster movement, more melee range and more damage.
    
  • Chi-Blast must be upgraded to rank 3 and Grip of Darkness to rank 4 to effect Large enemies.
    
  • Superior and Elite enemies can also have the Large trait.
• Superior
  
  • Physically bigger, more health, faster movement, more melee range and more damage than Large
    
  • Always Powers Immune, but the Arcane Mastery skill and Dominator amulet give rank 3 Chi-Blast and rank 4 Grip of Darkness a chance to affect Superior enemies.
• Elite
  
  • Physically bigger, more health, faster movement, more melee range and more damage than Superior enemies.
    
  • Always Powers Immune.

• Powers Immune
  
  • Grip of Darkness and Chi-Blast won't work on this enemy. Vanish still works.
• Guarded
  
  • When damaged to 50% health, this enemy will become immune to all damage and spawn minions which must be killed to lift the invulnerability.

• Mighty
  
  • Does more damage.
• Tough
  
  • Has more health.
• Swift
  
  • Faster movement speed, faster attack speed, faster recovery time, more aggressive.
• Hardened
  
  • Immune to elemental effects like damage over time, stun, and slow.
    
  • Possibly reduces the chance you'll proc a critical hit.
• Vital
  
  • Constantly regenerates health.

All sources of damage (melee, projectiles, explosions, damage over time...) have an elemental component (Fire, Ice, Toxic or Electric) and a Physical component. The type and percent elemental damage a particular weapon does is visible below its DPS statistic.

Most weapons start 0% elemental (100% Physical) and can become as much as 100% elemental (0% Physical) by attaching mods. For example, if an enemy is Fire Immune and you use a weapon that does 25% Fire damage, only the Physical portion (75%) of its listed damage will harm that enemy.

Note all damage over time effects are always 100% elemental.

• Fire / Ice / Toxic / Electric Vulnerable
  
  • Receives more damage from Fire / Ice / Toxic / Electric weapons.
    
  • Note Physical Vulnerable does not exist.
• Fire / Ice / Toxic / Electric / Physical Resist
  
  • Receives less damage from Fire / Ice / Toxic / Electric / Physical weapons.
    
  • Resistances are stronger on harder difficulties
• Fire / Ice / Toxic / Electric / Physical Immune
  
  • Cannot be harmed by Fire / Ice / Toxic / Electric / Physical weapons.

• Burning
  
  • You have a chance to receive Fire damage over time when hit by this enemy.
    
  • Higher difficulties increase the chance this elemental effect occurs.
    
  • Always accompanied by Ice Vulnerable and either Fire Resist or Fire Immune.
• Freezing
  
  • You have a chance to have your movement significantly slowed when hit by this enemy.
    
  • Higher difficulties increase the chance this elemental effect occurs.
    
  • Always accompanied by Fire Vulnerable and either Ice Resist or Ice Immune.
• Poisonous
  
  • You have a chance to receive Toxic damage over time when hit by this enemy.
    
  • Higher difficulties increase the chance this elemental effect occurs.
    
  • Always accompanied by Electric Vulnerable and either Toxic Resist or Toxic Immune.
• Stormy
  
  • You have a chance to receive Electric damage over time and have your movement slightly slowed when hit by this enemy.
    
  • Higher difficulties increase the chance this elemental effect occurs.
    
  • Always accompanied by Toxic Vulnerable and either Electric Resist or Electric Immune.

I find the most dangerous enemies are those who are Swift and Mighty. Especially Swift Aura and Mighty Aura. There's nothing worse than being stun-locked by one Swift, Freezing enemy and then clobbered by a Swift, Mighty enemy.

You'll never find an enemy that is immune to all damage types, but on the harder difficulties you will find enemies immune to all but one. You should keep at least one DPS-focused weapon of each damage type on hand, and keep some reserve ammo in them.

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