There isn't a lot to go over for this update in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality I'd say its contents are quite staggering. There's a new playable robot, three new abilities (one of which adds a whole new mechanic), our first "miniboss" (mecha/boss hybrid), and a few subtle campaign/mechanic tweaks that are sure to make the game more enjoyable long-term. Those of you who are active players will likely already know everything detailed in this post, but for the rest of you I apologize for the delay. It was important to me that I iron-out the kinks before setting anything in-stone on the website. Anyway, let's get started! I'll go over the lighter stuff first and then go from there.


New Playable Robot Master - Flame Man





A new playable robot has been added in Flame Man, burning a path forward with his Flame Blast! Flame Blast is a very cool move that can ignite all oil on the field if the active target has it below their feet! Even without the oil, this move always strikes twice with the second hit packing the most punch - an excellent option for those targets with annoying one-hit shields (looking at you Crystal Joe and Ra Thor).


New Ability - Snake Bite



A new T2 ability has been added for Snake Man called the Snake Bite, a technique which has some uses that are not immediately apparent. Snake Bite deals damage to the target and leaves them with a nasty weakness to the user's own core type. Not only that, but repeated Snake Bites make the effect worse and worse, potentially wracking up insane damage multipliers for any target that can survive long enough to see it.


Misc Ability Updates

- Updated Friend Share so that it always copies base form of a Copy-core mecha (like the Weapon Archivist)
- Added the same fix for ones w/ dynamic alts (like Unshielded Sniper Joe or the Attack/Defense/Speed-Form Trille-Bots).

- Updated Galaxy Bomb so that it can be used to cancel-out an existing Black Hole on the target's side

- Updated Core Shield so that it applies to everyone on your team, not just a select target (same short duration though)

- Update to the Blizzard Attack ability where it inflicts a weakness to the Freeze type for all those hit

- Update to all the Elemental Shots (they have priority now just like the Buster Shot from which they are based)

(!) SPOILER TERRITORY (!)

This rest of update post is very spoiler-heavy, so if you haven't completed both Dr. Light and Dr. Wily's campaigns you might want to steer clear. To keep things light I'll start with the minor updates and bug-fixes and then make my way onto the bigger stuff.


New Miniboss - The Weapon Archivists



A new miniboss-style "mecha" has been added to the game called the "Weapon Archivist". Each Weapon Archivist is a single block of the larger "Weapons Archive" originally seen in MM10. In their original appearance, these blocks come in sets of three and they kick your butt with the special weapons of past bosses - the setup is no different here in the Prototype. Occasionally, your adventures in Bonus Field I will lead to a chance-encounter with these minibosses. It is unlikely you will survive the encounter, but don't run away just yet - each and every hit you manage to land on these guys will net you a full elemental core drop. A challenging but efficient way to get some of the more elusive cores in the game. If you're trying to predict which elements the Weapon Archivists will appear in, pay attention to the field multipliers of Bonus Field I.


Misc Mechanics Updates

- Chapter 2 missions have been updated so that, after being completed, visitor mechas from other fields will start appearing in the back (that is, mechas beyond MM1/2/3/4). This will make it easier to find new mechas added in future updates.

- Made it so that befriending a copy-type mecha like the Weapon Archivist will always befriend their base form instead of their current elemental alt so the colour-shifting mechanics work properly for your own instance of the mecha.

- Updated the Dark Frags that appear in Cossack Chapter 3 so that they can be used to destroy existing mecha friendships should you push too hard and try to befriend despite their resistance. This was mainly added for the Copy Bots as they had no other way to go back to their original "locally sourced" mecha-summoning mechanic after adopting a specific one via Friend Share.

- Updated the in-game database to use that fancy new sprite viewer that the main website has because come on it looks great.

(!) YOU CAN FINALLY PLAY AS THE BOSSES (!)

Now I've Got Your (Copy) Style!





This is it. This is the moment you've all been waiting for (well, a lot of you anyway). A groundbreaking new ability named "Copy Style" has been added to the game, and you you can unlock it in Dr. Cossack's second chapter by defeating Doc Robot for the third and final time. Once you do, get ready for a style change!

Copy Style allows the user to download the target's persona and apply it to their own body. The effect is long-term and stays on as long as you keep Copy Style equipped. You can use it to copy other robot masters, to copy support mechas, and even to copy bosses. The stat spread of the target is adjusted to match your own BST, but otherwise the transformation is pretty much 1:1. You copy their type, skill, ability compatibility, and - most fun - their appearance!

Remember all those players over the years who have been asking when they could play as Enker? Well now it's possible. Enker and more. Enjoy, and if you have any questions about the precise mechanics of the ability just ask them here or in the chat. The biggest tip I can give you is this: the placement of Copy Style in your robot's arsenal directly affects how many of your own abilities are replaced/inherited from the target when using the move. This is a high-level ability that might be hard to wrap your head around, but try it out in battle and you'll see what all the fuss is about. :)

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Alright, that's it for now! Please enjoy Copy Style and stay tuned over the next few days for more. We've been working on one more big update for the Holidays that we hope you'll enjoy. :)