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Keeper - Version 1 vs Version 2
Sep 11, 2026, 10:12 PM
Initial version (2026-09-11)
Sep 11, 2026, 10:43 PM
Removed repeated body wikilinks, keeping the first occurrence of each target
11The Keeper is the Grell tanky melee creature, a Tier 2 unit that hatches two at a time from the Incubator and turns the damage it absorbs into reinforcements. Every 60 health a Keeper loses spawns a 50 health Arkanid, which makes it the only unit in the faction that gets stronger in aggregate as it is being killed.22Figures below describe the September 2026 Early Access build, the one carrying the identifier ZS.c36778, and they move with the weekly patch cadence. Roughly half the versus roster had a stat touched in the fortnight before that build was captured, so treat every number here as dated rather than permanent.44Stat Block66StatValueCost150 hexite and 50 flux for a pair, which is 75 hexite and 25 flux eachHealth225Shields0Armor1Armor typeMediumStatus resistNone listedMove speed550Vision16Supply2 per creatureBuild time40 seconds for the pairTier2DomainGround unitInfuse cost5.3125Reanimate cost5.3125Replicate cost5.3125Built byIncubatorResearched atSynapse Canopy for Tier 1, Elderwomb for Tier 288Weapons99WeaponDamageDPSRangeCooldownTargetsBonusesKeeper Talons20151.41.3sGroundNone1111Abilities1212AbilityEffectCooldownCostArkanid SpawnPassive. Spawns a 50 health Arkanid for every 60 health the Keeper loses.Always active60 health lost per Arkanid, reduced to 15 by Accelerated Mitosis1414Upgrades1515UpgradeTierCostEffectResearched atExoskeleton Reinforcement1100 flux, 45 seconds+75 healthSynapse CanopyCytokinin Surge1100 flux, 45 seconds+3 health regenerationSynapse CanopyAccelerated Mitosis2150 flux, 60 secondsReduce health loss per Arkanid from 20 to 15Elderwomb1717Conversion Costs1818Infuse is the Grell conversion mechanic, paid out of the same top bar power pool as the Legion Reanimate and the Xol Replicate. It permanently raises a friendly unit's health, damage and regeneration for the rest of that unit's life. Since the balance pass of August 11, 2026 the bonus is +45%, down from +50%, and the cost multiplier rose from 0.045 to 0.05 so that it matches the Protectorate shield and the Legion Reanimate.2020The Keeper is eligible for all three conversions at an identical 5.3125 power each. Infuse compounds with Arkanid Spawn, because the +45% health is 45% more health to convert into free bodies, and the +45% regeneration refills that pool faster between engagements.2222Role2424A Keeper on its own is unremarkable: 225 health, 15 damage per second, melee range 1.4. Arkanid Spawn is the reason to build it. Every 60 health of incoming damage produces a free 50 health body, so an army shooting at Keepers is simultaneously manufacturing the swarm that surrounds it. Against sustained ranged fire this compounds badly for the attacker, and it is why Keepers are usually placed at the front rather than held back.2626Cytokinin Surge and Exoskeleton Reinforcement both extend how long that engine runs. Three health regeneration per second means a Keeper that disengages recovers the health it converted into Arkanids, effectively turning downtime into more spawns later. Accelerated Mitosis is the aggressive option, cutting the health cost per Arkanid so the swarm arrives faster.2828The pair ordering matters for planning. Two Keepers at once for 150 hexite and 50 flux is four supply and 80 seconds of production line time, which is a real commitment at Tier 2, and a player who wants one Keeper gets two.3030Faction Context3232Keepers come from the Incubator alongside Harbingers and Threshers, with first tier research at the Synapse Canopy and the Accelerated Mitosis upgrade at the Elderwomb. They are the middle of the Grell front line, more durable than a Stinger and considerably cheaper than a Reaver.3434Arkanid Spawn is one of three sources of Arkanids in the faction, the other two being the Reaver death trigger and the Deep Nest top bar ultimate. Together they are the mechanical expression of the faction identity described on The Grell: bodies are cheap, biomass is the real resource, and damage absorbed is not wasted.3636Tier and Armour Interactions3838The Keeper carries Medium armour with an armour value of 1. Since August 11, 2026 Medium also carries every harvester and extractor in the game, which makes it the category the largest number of weapons are tuned against. The Grell's own Skrell deals +100% against Medium, and the Lasher adds +75% with Corrosive Secretion, so a Keeper is a good target for a mirror match.4040Keeper Talons carries no bonus, so the unit does flat damage against every armour type. What it produces instead of a bonus is Arkanids, which carry Light armour and no bonus either. A Keeper line therefore does not solve an armour problem; it solves a numbers problem.4242Counters4444Strong Against4646TargetWhySustained ranged fireEvery 60 health absorbed becomes a free 50 health body, so slow damage is the worst way to kill a Keeper.Positional holds225 health with 1 armour and a growing Arkanid screen is difficult to push through quickly.4848Weak To4949ThreatWhyBurst damageA Keeper killed in one exchange spawns few Arkanids. Fast kills deny the entire mechanic.Splash damageThe Arkanids the Keeper produces are 5 health Light armoured bodies that area weapons clear instantly.Air unitsKeeper Talons targets ground only.Weapons with a Medium armour bonusMedium is the most heavily targeted category in the build.5151Balance History5252The Keeper's own stats were unchanged across the fortnight of patching before this build.August 11, 2026: the Infuse bonus that applies to this unit was cut from +50% to +45%, and the cost multiplier rose from 0.045 to 0.05.5454Notes5656The roster record for this unit is COMPLETE.The Accelerated Mitosis upgrade text describes reducing health loss per Arkanid from 20 to 15, while the Arkanid Spawn passive is published as one Arkanid per 60 health lost. The two figures are reproduced as published; no dated studio note reconciles them.Per unit numbers are drawn from a community maintained entity catalogue that the studio links from each of its own faction pages. It is the only place the full stat block is published, and it is not a studio document, so the figures are best read as careful community documentation of a build rather than as an official specification. Dated balance notes, by contrast, come straight from the studio patch posts.
