WX Shadow Rework Based on Circuits

[LittleLimePengu]

WX Shadow Rework Overview

·         Unlocks Shadow Circuit System

·         Circuits slot scale with progression through shadow gameplay

·         Offers combat bonuses with planar as well as utility

·         Offers choices between solo or multiplayer playstyles

 

A Few Words (Can skip)

After reading a wide range of community feedback on the WX shadow affinity rework, a consistent theme stands out: players seem to prefer a circuit-based progression system rather than another chassis-focused skill tree.

 

I believe this tree should reward players for engaging with shadow elements, much like the lunar affinity does with Gestalts. Unlocks would come from scanning shadow-related targets, with the timing aligned so circuits become available when they’re most valuable.

 

The slot costs are designed to create a clear incentive to upgrade your shadow core over time. Each tier offers meaningful progression, while the Possessed Shadow Heart stands out by providing the same slot value as a normal Shadow Heart, but with added planar bonuses, making it valuable during the later stages of the game when planar damage and defence become more relevant. This does mean that if players wish to not activate the rifts they do not need to activate them to get a lot of value from this tree

 

While I don’t believe this will get used, I do believe that it could help lead to some new ideas in the team working on it. Let me know your thoughts below

 

 

Shadow Circuit Slot Costs

• Nightmare Fuel → 2 slots
• Pure Horror → 4 slots
• Shadow Heart → 6 slots
• Possessed Shadow Heart → 6 slots + activates Shadow Form bonus

 

Shadow Circuits

Shadow Hand (1 Prong)

• Automatically gathers nearby resources (same as current behaviour)
• Can perform 1 work action per second (chop, mine, etc.) scaling with circuit quantity
• Visual: small shadow hand animation grabbing the node (it should just hold on the node to not affect performance)
• Scaling (additional circuits):
  • 2nd: 0.5s per action
  • 3rd: 0.33s per action
  • 4th: 0.25s per action
  • Etc 1/(circuits) /s action
• Unlock requirement: Scan a Shadow Hand

 

Shadow Reach (1 Prong)

• Expands radius of:
  • Shadow Hand actions
  • Corruptor Field
• Increase: +0.75 tiles per circuit
• Unlock requirement: Scan a Terror Claw

 

Corruptor Field (2 Prongs)

• Creates a 1-tile aura around WX that should be relatively unobtrusive
• Grants physical damage bonus to WX and allies:
  • 10% / 20% / 30% (scales with investment)(low amount to begin since nightmare fuel requirement)
• Radius increased by Shadow Reach
• Unlock requirement: Scan a Ruins Nightmare Light/ or maybe nightmare werepig

 

Shadow Overcharge ((3 or 4 prongs) Prongs)

·         Increase your maximum slots for alpha beta and gamma by 1

·         Unlock requirement: Scan Ancient Fuelweaver

 

Possessed Shadow Heart Bonus

When equipped:

• Corruptor Field gains:
  • +5 / +10 / +15 planar damage
• Shadow Hand:
  • ~25% increased drops from the node/bush interacted by the hand
• With a range booster equipped:
  • Tamed clockworks receive 30% physical  armor and 5 planar defence
  •  

Nightmare Fuel Consumption Buff

• Consuming Nightmare Fuel grants:
  • +5 flat planar damage and defence (encourage use of fuel)

[ADN69]

This the perfect idea for a shadow affinity. I would like to see this in the game. 

 

[Jarrec]

The damage is way too much they already gave us the ability to use more curcuits by separating them in 3 if they did something like this they would need to revert those changes 

[Baark0]

I'd be perfectly happy if this was the shadow affinity in game. The numbers could probably do with some tweaks, and shadow overcharge I'd personally change to something more unique, but I like the change to the damage buff just being an aura around you. Its simple, it works well with aoe and single targets, theres no weird damage ramping, and it just makes sense and looks like it'd feel good to play with.

[beyond human]

Since WX can unlock high-speed AoE attacks with the spin circuit, it seems there's almost no chance for WX to get planar damage😂😭

Edited April 30 by beyond human

[doritosdamafia]

3 minutes ago, beyond human said:

Since WX can unlock high-speed ranged attacks with the spin circuit,

ranged?

[beyond human]

7 minutes ago, doritosdamafia said:

ranged?

Oops. Is it wrong to say "ranged attack" meaning area attack in English? 💦

[doritosdamafia]

3 minutes ago, beyond human said:

Oops. Is it wrong to say "ranged attack" meaning area attack in English? 💦

yea, ranged normally is used to meant a long distance attack like darts, area of attack normaly people use the abbreviation AoE

[beyond human]

18 minutes ago, doritosdamafia said:

yea, ranged normally is used to meant a long distance attack like darts, area of attack normaly people use the abbreviation AoE

Got it. Thanks for pointing out my mistake! I just corrected it.😁

[LittleLimePengu]

 

4 hours ago, Baark0 said:

I'd be perfectly happy if this was the shadow affinity in game. The numbers could probably do with some tweaks, and shadow overcharge I'd personally change to something more unique, but I like the change to the damage buff just being an aura around you. Its simple, it works well with aoe and single targets, theres no weird damage ramping, and it just makes sense and looks like it'd feel good to play with.

I think changing the corruptor field to 5/15/25 and planar damage to 3/6/9 would be more balenced then as values. the idea of the extra slot was to allow more utility and qol over damage by allowing setups like 2 hardy,beanbooster and small gastro as well as moggles and 2 speed (i think 4 prongs would balence this)

[Reddddd]

On 4/29/2026 at 9:34 AM, LittleLimePengu said:

WX Shadow Rework Overview

·         Unlocks Shadow Circuit System

·         Circuits slot scale with progression through shadow gameplay

·         Offers combat bonuses with planar as well as utility

·         Offers choices between solo or multiplayer playstyles

 

A Few Words (Can skip)

After reading a wide range of community feedback on the WX shadow affinity rework, a consistent theme stands out: players seem to prefer a circuit-based progression system rather than another chassis-focused skill tree.

 

I believe this tree should reward players for engaging with shadow elements, much like the lunar affinity does with Gestalts. Unlocks would come from scanning shadow-related targets, with the timing aligned so circuits become available when they’re most valuable.

 

The slot costs are designed to create a clear incentive to upgrade your shadow core over time. Each tier offers meaningful progression, while the Possessed Shadow Heart stands out by providing the same slot value as a normal Shadow Heart, but with added planar bonuses, making it valuable during the later stages of the game when planar damage and defence become more relevant. This does mean that if players wish to not activate the rifts they do not need to activate them to get a lot of value from this tree

 

While I don’t believe this will get used, I do believe that it could help lead to some new ideas in the team working on it. Let me know your thoughts below

 

 

Shadow Circuit Slot Costs

• Nightmare Fuel → 2 slots
• Pure Horror → 4 slots
• Shadow Heart → 6 slots
• Possessed Shadow Heart → 6 slots + activates Shadow Form bonus

 

Shadow Circuits

Shadow Hand (1 Prong)

• Automatically gathers nearby resources (same as current behaviour)
• Can perform 1 work action per second (chop, mine, etc.) scaling with circuit quantity
• Visual: small shadow hand animation grabbing the node (it should just hold on the node to not affect performance)
• Scaling (additional circuits):
  • 2nd: 0.5s per action
  • 3rd: 0.33s per action
  • 4th: 0.25s per action
  • Etc 1/(circuits) /s action
• Unlock requirement: Scan a Shadow Hand

 

Shadow Reach (1 Prong)

• Expands radius of:
  • Shadow Hand actions
  • Corruptor Field
• Increase: +0.75 tiles per circuit
• Unlock requirement: Scan a Terror Claw

 

Corruptor Field (2 Prongs)

• Creates a 1-tile aura around WX that should be relatively unobtrusive
• Grants physical damage bonus to WX and allies:
  • 10% / 20% / 30% (scales with investment)(low amount to begin since nightmare fuel requirement)
• Radius increased by Shadow Reach
• Unlock requirement: Scan a Ruins Nightmare Light/ or maybe nightmare werepig

 

Shadow Overcharge ((3 or 4 prongs) Prongs)

·         Increase your maximum slots for alpha beta and gamma by 1

·         Unlock requirement: Scan Ancient Fuelweaver

 

Possessed Shadow Heart Bonus

When equipped:

• Corruptor Field gains:
  • +5 / +10 / +15 planar damage
• Shadow Hand:
  • ~25% increased drops from the node/bush interacted by the hand
• With a range booster equipped:
  • Tamed clockworks receive 30% physical  armor and 5 planar defence
  •  

Nightmare Fuel Consumption Buff

• Consuming Nightmare Fuel grants:
  • +5 flat planar damage and defence (encourage use of fuel)

You're saying... wx would have an whopping 45% damage buff, greater than wolfgang and permanent by winter. 

While some of these would be only funny, some of these are straight up making wx-78 a boss-like character. 

I'd really love to see alot of those, but the damage modifier and the circuit maximum capacity is just too much. And i would like a redesign on "shadow hands" instead make it a metal tentacle imbued with shadow power, rather than literal shadow hands.