Witch

“	Whether you think of them as witches, druids, magic-users, or any of the multitude of names and titles accrued over the millennia, Gatekeeper Witches are something else again. They are both seer and soldier - mystic mercenaries who have more than parted the veil. They have torn it down and used it as a cape. Humanity is rife with adepts, most of whom are blithely unaware of their talents. Some note a tendency to anticipate the general outline of events, or sooth with the tone of their voice, and suspect there may be more to existence. Others run into initiates of one kind or another, who assist them to cultivate those talents. Rarer are those who, cultivating those talents, seek out the deepest fonts of knowledge. Some find their way to The Gate Cascade Synaptic Labs, where they are taught the origins of their abilities, and receive training and enhancement from myriad realms, becoming something a little more than human.	”
	~ GATE Compendium

The Gatekeepers' warrior witches, Witches are enemies found in Shadowgate.

Appearance

Witches wear light armor with leather strappings, made in typical Gatekeeper fashion. They carry a collection of equipment pockets and arcane baubles, including an Embellished Censer and Purported Grimoire. The beads of their distinctly shaped hats hide a grim skull-faced mask.

Behavior

Witches can be found patrolling or standing guard, either alone or near other Gatekeepers. In some cases, they can be found among other Witches, cackling and dancing around with glee. They are hostile to anything that isn't a Gatekeeper, Defense Robot or Corrupted Robot, and will alert other Gatekeepers if possible.

When in combat, Witches will constantly leap over their targets using jump packs, filling the air with their horrible laughter. They will stalk after their enemies while grounded.

Combat

Witches seem to come from everywhere at once as they dance through the air, mercilessly pelting lead towards players from all directions. They don't need a broomstick when they have a boomstick.

Attacks
- Shotgun Blast: High-powered scattershot. Witches can attack while mid-air.
- Shotgun Bash: Melee attack; attempts to strike with their weapon.
Strategy
- The jump packs Witches have are their greatest strength; their quick-flying leaps will make them difficult to attack mid-air, but they have to land eventually.
- Witches are best dealt with quickly, as their erratic movements will cover significant distances. This has the undesirable effect of potentially alerting nearby Gatekeepers, turning a fight with a single Witch into a battlefield with multiple Gatekeepers.
- When entering combat, Witches will activate a Hardlight shield that covers their body, which must first be broken in order to damage them.
- Witches can be damaged (or even killed) before putting up shields if players can catch them off guard by successfully sneaking up on them.
- Null Grenades will disable Hardlight shields.
- Fire damage weapons (such as the Thermite Molotov and Welding Spear) will deal a significant amount of damage to a Witch.
- Witches cannot burn while frozen, but Slushie Bombs can stop Witches from utilizing their jump packs.