On Re-Working Eximus Units

The idea of bigger, more powerful enemies scattered among normal mooks and baddies is a great idea. They give you something different to fight while also making you prioritize things. But Eximus units in Warframe fucking suck.

Eximus units are currently just all round annoying. There is nothing particularly interesting about them, they don’t relay any important information and, as threatening as they are, they tend to die as quickly as anything else. Meanwhile, there are other powerful units that actually feel somewhat rewarding to fight against, like the Nox, which can still be shot to death but can be shot to death more quickly if you break the glass dome around its head. Most Eximus Units are the same. They have the same similar traits and the same similar looks. They are larger than normal units and generally a different colour, and they’ll have a weird effect on them, as well as a particle effect based on what type of Eximus Unit they are. Really, aside from being bigger, they blend in with most units and the main difference is that they require more bullets.

Frankly, these units could do with some changes. But not massive, complete and utter reworks. Just little visual reworks. Because most Eximus Units are somewhat fair. Mostly.

Really, the main change would be to make them visually distinct from normal enemies. Particularly Parasitic Eximus Units, which will very quickly begin to drain away your energy without you noticing. In fact, it was a swarm of Parasitic Eximus Chargers that originally got me to write this article. Energy Leech Eximus Units also easily blend in, especially things like Corrupted Butchers, which are barely different from their normal forms.

So every Eximus Unit should have both custom models and particle effects that better show what they do. The bigger models do help but it should be easier to see what an Eximus Unit is from a glance. The current particle effects are alright but could be more intense, but a new model would help even more, with custom weapons or limb attachments that directly relate to an Eximus’s type.

For example, Shock Eximi could have lightning rods attached to their backs, Guardian Eximu could have a shield attached to one arm or bulkier armour and Parasitic Eximi could have strange tendrils or Nullifier-like bubbles upon their person. Arson/Caustic Eximus Units already have a flaming effect around them but the effect could be stronger too. Toxin Eximus Units actually have pretty recognizable greenish toxic lines coming off them, but you can quite easily confuse them with normal Toxic Ancients, which have a similar effect.

But what is far, far more important is making the range of these enemies visible. Okay sure a Caustic Eximus will have a very obvious wave of fire but there’s no real way of knowing where shock or toxin procs begin and what the range of a Parasitic Eximus is. They ALL need some sort of Vauban’s Bastille-like shape around them, telling you that if you go there, you get hurt. Doesn’t have to be as bright as Bastille, but give us something, anything, that shows us where the threat is. Because right now you can have an Energy Leech Corrupted Butcher in a corner and not be able to see it, while it eats up all your energy.

The alternative is simple: just remove Parasitic and Energy Leech Eximus Units. Because those guys are bullshit.