In order to keep the Nexus Force well prepared for battle against the Maelstrom, Vanda Darkflame has requested that Paradox scientists release weekly reports on Maelstrom (and Skeleton!) opponents during the month of June (and early July). Each week, we will release a short bio on one villain from each of the four main combat zones on Crux. Check back weekly to ensure your intel is up to date!



History: Though they themselves are not infused with Maelstrom, the evil Skeletons have plenty of reason to be interested in the chaotic energy surging through the Darkitect. Hailing from the haunted Underworld of Planet Ninjago, a Skeleton expeditionary force led by the grizzled General Nuckal recently landed on Crux Prime in search of a resource that could help them conquer the peaceful Minifigures and seize control of their planet: Maelstrom Crystals. When forged into armor and weapons, these Maelstrom-infused minerals are the only element that can defend the Skeletons against Spinjitzu: the ancient, mystical martial art taught to worthy Minifigures by the wise Ninjago master, Sensei Wu.

Led by Sensei Wu’s nefarious brother, the twisted Underworld Lord Garmadon, a Skeleton horde recently succeeded in overrunning the Ninjago Monastery, Sensei Wu’s home. Desperate to reclaim the surface of Ninjago from this Skeleton invasion, Sensei Wu brought the last remaining chunk of his beloved Monastery to a stalwart group of heroes he had heard tales of from travelling explorers – the Nexus Force. He landed on Crux Prime, but was followed by General Nuckal, who was immediately intoxicated by the dark power of the Maelstrom, realizing its potential as a weapon against Spinjitzu.

If General Nuckal succeeds in shipping countless megatons of Maelstrom Ore back to planet Ninjago, Lord Garmadon will be most pleased; if their Spinjitzu becomes ineffective, Sensei Wu and his disciples will be hard-pressed to push back the massive Skeleton invasion of their homeland.

Stats: 18 Life Points, 0 Armor

Attacks: Basic Strike: A Skeleton Miner will swing his pick at opponents for 5 damage.

Sloppy Spinjitzu Spin: Using a chaotic and undisciplined form of Spinjitzu, a Skeleton Miner will charge up and spin wildly for 6 damage, after which its head will continue rotating like a top, causing extreme dizziness.

Tactics: After sensing the courage and goodness of the Nexus Force, Sensei Wu has vowed to teach all of its members the basics of Imagination Spinjitzu if they wish to learn it. Imagination Spinjitzu should always be utilized against a Skeleton force.

When engaging a Skeleton Miner, be ready to jump out of the way of the way of its Sloppy Spinjitzu at a moment’s notice. Inversely, using pure Imagination Spinjitzu against Skeletons is super effective. Equip as much Imagination Spinjitzu gear as you can when preparing to face Skeletons of any rank – normal weapons do considerably less damage than Imagination Spinjitzu gear against Skeletal foes, and Imagination Spinjitzu armor will drastically reduce damage caused by their attacks.

It has been found that Skeletons are particularly fond of music in all its forms. While they are highly aggressive and belligerent while listening to Growlspeakers, they respond peacefully to the sound of friendlier tunes. Rebuilld smashed Growlspeakers into ragtime record players and nearby Skeletons will become entranced, leaving them vulnerable.

Charging up Imagination Spinjitzu and releasing it near a group of Miners and their superiors will most likely smash the Miners immediately, leaving only their officers, weakened by the blast, to smash. Minifigures using the Imagination Spinjitzu Staff should easily be able to easily smash the remaining Skeletons one at a time, earning them much more loot than if they target Miners alone.

Mardolf the Orange swears that his latest invention, the “Holographoid Skeleton Powerclutcherizer” will disable Skeletons by projecting a hologram of an attractive female Skeleton batting her eyes and blowing kisses in their direction. The Paradox highly doubts the success of this invention, as it is not yet known whether or not Skeleton women exist.

Discuss Skeleton Miners on the forum!

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Finally, we learn something about skeletons. Unfortunately, only the stats of Miners. Oh well.

Fugu, signing off.