Witch

Witches are Gatekeeper mystic soldiers found patrolling, standing guard, or moving in groups with other Gatekeepers. In some encounters they appear among other Witches, cackling and dancing as they patrol. They are hostile to anything that is not a Gatekeeper, Defense Robot, or Corrupted Robot, and will attempt to alert nearby Gatekeepers if given the chance.

Their appearance matches typical Gatekeeper equipment, with light armor, leather strappings, and several pockets and arcane trinkets. They carry an Embellished Censer and a Purported Grimoire, and their distinctly shaped hats conceal a grim skull-faced mask behind the beads. The GATE compendium describes them as both seer and soldier: mystic mercenaries who have gone beyond ordinary human limits.

In combat, Witches rely on aggressive mobility and mid-air firepower. They use jump packs to leap over targets repeatedly, often seeming to attack from every direction at once while filling the air with loud laughter. Their main attacks are a shotgun blast and a shotgun bash, and they can fire while airborne. When combat begins, they activate a Hardlight shield that must be broken before they can be damaged normally, although they can be struck down before the shield appears if caught off guard while sneaking.

• Witches are dangerous because their jump packs let them cover large distances quickly, making them difficult to hit while airborne.
• They should be eliminated quickly, since their movement can draw in nearby Gatekeepers and turn a small skirmish into a much larger fight.
• Freezing a Witch stops it from using its jump packs, making it much easier to control.
• Fire damage weapons deal significant damage to Witches.
• Their Hardlight shields can be disabled by shock-based attacks.
• Sneaking up on a Witch can let players damage or kill it before the shield activates.

Witches drop Arcane Scrap and an Embellished Censer guaranteed, along with 12g Buckshot. They can also drop Lodestone Fragments and GATE Defense Runes. Harvesting a Witch yields a Witch Skull.