Combat in the Legend of Bum-bo is simple at its core. each room has 3 columns and 3 rows that can be occupied by enemies ( a 9 space grid ) and when you attack, you choose a column and your spell/puzzle attack will hit the closest enemy in said column.
there is also a 2nd layer of this grid for flying enemies, flying enemies can occupy the space above a walking one, but are always hit first when attacked.
as you can see in the gif above, mousing over the row will highlight the enemies you're able to hit so there isn't any confusion on who's taking damage ( keep in mind some spells may change these rules, like for instance rock friends, a spell that always attacks the furthest enemy in a column )
every attack in bum-bo is assigned a damage number represented by the red number inside the attack icon, next to the attack spell and every enemy has its HP visible at all times so you can plan out your moves and attacks perfectly.
there are a large number of enemies in Bum-bo with a huge range of abilities. ill highlight a few from the sewers of dross so you can get an idea of what to expect.
Tado Kid - Ap (action points): 1 Hp: 2 type: Melee/walking
tado kids are your basic dumb meat shield that move slowly and attack when in melee range. when a tado kid is killed there is a chance you'll have only killed its head and it will transform into a leaper.
Leaper - Ap:1 Hp: 2 type: Ranged/Walking
leapers are the more deadly counter part to tado kids, once in leaper form they will use their action point to prime, then next turn attack from any distance.
Tall Boi - Ap: 1 Hp: 4 Type: Caster/Walking
Tall bois are one of the first spell casters you will run into in Bum-bo, they have 2 spells that they can cast, Summon Dip: summons a little dip directly in front of them and Toxic Gas: a cloud of gas that appears in front of them lasting one turn. if attacked, the toxic gas will blow back towards the player dealing damage if not protected... silent, but deadly.
Boom Fly - Ap: 1 Hp: 2 Type: Melee/Flying
Boom flys in Bum-bo act much like they did in isaac, they move forward till they are close to a player, attack, move back to the back of the room and repeat. Also like in isaac when you kill them they explode, so you want to kill them before they get too close or you will need some defenses to absorb their attack.
these are just a few of the enemies you'll face in the games first chapter ( sewers of dross ) and i hope to show all the rest in a play through of the sewers some time next week ;)
see you friday!
-Edmund