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Spiderants are viciously territorial creatures that bear a passing resemblance to insects. The most striking features of these creatures are their elongated heads, four limbs, and abdomens. Their heads are thickly armored as are their strong, dangerously sharp forelimbs. The abdomen, however, is unarmored and is the creature's weakest point.
Overview
Spiderants are known to burrow underground and tend to frequent areas with relatively flat, open ground. Spiderants are one of the few native species encountered on Pandora that do not emerge from a hardened burrow with an obvious exit.
There are several different varieties of Spiderants, with varying abilities and attack patterns. All Spiderants employ some form of sweeping slash attack when another being gets too close. Some leap at their foes, trying to impale them upon their diamond-hard forelimbs. Some also use a projectile attack, ejecting semi-transparent, egg-like sacks from the ends of their abdomen at their targets. These projectiles range from small, grenade-like projectiles, to large mine-like projectiles that detonate over a large area.
Badass Spiderants, like all Badass creatures, can have an elemental property, and can launch powerful elemental projectiles.
General Strategy
Pre-release screenshot taken of Spiderants, an enemy originally envisioned to be a typical "FPS zerg" enemy.
All Spiderants are covered with an armored carapace, which protects their rounded head, and sharp-tipped lower legs. Shots to either of the mentioned areas will tend to do about 0.1-0.2 times baseline damage while shots to the upper limbs will do 0.75 times. Shots to the actual body itself, a small sliver of exposed flesh between the head and abdomen, will do regular damage. Dealing enough damage in a short time to a Spiderant's head (especially the upper fringe) will disorient them for a moment, making them turn about and stagger for a second or two, exposing their vulnerable posterior. However, if the Spiderant's level is much higher than their foe's, stunning them becomes much more difficult. The abdomen, when accessible, provides a sizable critical hit target that is both easy to strike and disastrous to the Spiderant when struck.
Shotguns work well against Spiderants, not only because they can easily disorient, but also because follow-up blasts to the abdomen can usually take down even the toughest specimen. "Spiked" varieties of Shotgun can also be used to quickly deliver debilitating melee attacks which can themselves disorient or kill a Spiderant if the abdomen takes several blows. Combat Rifles are also effective weapons as the heavy slugs can disorient on head strikes, and then slam the abdomen. Revolvers are passable weapons to use against Spiderants; with their extreme damage-per-bullet rating, they have a better-than-normal chance of disorientation. However, revolvers' limited magazines, rates of fire, and poor recoil handling can pose a problem. Sniper Rifles can do extreme amounts of damage to this less-than-robust enemy, but only with abdominal hits from a distance. Like Scythids, Spiderants resist elemental attacks, and take reduced damage from weapons like Rocket Launchers or Grenades, although Rocket Launchers, thanks to their high damage-per-shot, can easily disorient them.
Spiderants prefer to run directly up and swat their enemies with one of their forelimbs. A viable tactic to avoid taking excessive damage is to walk backwards, firing until the enemy is just about to attack, then cease firing and sprint to the left or right. This allows players to circle quickly around the Spiderants and deal massive damage to their abdomens. Players in a solo situation against the larger types of Spiderant (Badass and similar) may find it incredibly difficult to exploit the critical point on their abdomens for two reasons. Firstly, the Spiderant itself will not attempt to attack anything other than the player, so it is impossible to flank them while another person takes their attention. Secondly, they are much more difficult to disorient than their smaller counterparts or even the optional bosses. A solution is to focus the targeting element on the upper fringe of the armored head while backpedaling. Due to a collision detection quirk involving their walk animation, several of these shots will register as abdomen hits, dealing critical damage from the front even though the abdomen itself is not truly exposed.
Despite being armored, Spiderants are not appreciably affected by Corrosive effects as would be expected from an armored enemy; their frontal armor remains largely intact and (as previously stated) they suffer only minuscule damage over time.
Types of Spiderant
Borderlands 1 spiderants
Spiderantling
Spiderantlings are the smallest and least dangerous of the Spiderant creatures. They are most likely baby or freshly hatched Spiderants, as their underdeveloped heads and forelimbs lack effective armor. Interestingly, this breed doesn't suffer critical damage to the abdomen, but this doesn't mean much as they are inherently weak and fragile. They have a tan coloring similar to Worker Spiderants, but are slightly darker and have a kind of "wet and fresh" sheen to their carapace sections. They attack by leaping, but will also run up to a player and swipe with one of their legs.
They are little more than a nuisance to most and any weapon, or even a couple of melee strikes, can dispatch these tiny beasties in short order. Rocket Launchers are especially fun to open up with on groups.
- Playthrough 2: Skittish Spiderantling
- Playthrough 2.5: Agitated Spiderantling
Worker Spiderant
Worker Spiderants can be distinguished by their tan armor. They are a little bigger than Spiderantlings, and their abdomen is slightly bigger than their heads. Worker Spiderants attack by aggressively leaping at the player and striking with their sharp forelimbs when close. Both of these attacks deal little damage, but they can knock the player back and interfere with their shots.
Worker Spiderants are rather sluggish and a quick player can use this to their advantage by zipping forward and then strafing the abdomen.
- Playthrough 2: Spiderant Toiler
- Playthrough 2.5: Spiderant Slave
Gyro Spiderant
Gyro Spiderants can be distinguished by the strong blue color of their carapace, tiny abdomen, and frightening speed. This type of Spiderant leaps, slashes, and also uses a highly damaging rolling tackle. Out of all the Spiderant breeds, this can be the most difficult to take on as they can outrun a player when sprinting and then leap onto their backs or roll over to knock a sizable portion off their shield. They also have keen reflexes, and can quickly pick up and deliver a rapid string of attacks to anything in front of them.
Like with Workers, its best to try and get behind this blue dervish after it leaps at the player. Not only will this put the abdomen into one's crosshairs, but it will also delay the creature as it tries to lock back onto its target.
- Playthrough 2: Spiderant Beetle
- Playthrough 2.5: Spiderant Vermin
Soldier Spiderant
Soldier Spiderants can be distinguished by their light-blue carapace, large head, and tiny abdomen. Slightly bigger than the Worker, Soldiers are slow-moving ranged attackers that will only use melee against a player when the player is close. They tend to favor hanging back and launching volleys of white, glistening sacs from their abdomen in groups of 3-5, and larger single globs that bounce along the ground and explode like grenades.
Despite the apparently small size of their abdomen, Soldier Spiderants are ludicrously easy to score critical hits off of, even when being taken from the front. All one needs is a Shotgun with a big magazine, or a highly accurate assault rifle-style Combat Rifle. If a player aims just at the top of the head-ridge, they can get critical hits to the abdomen because the top of the abdomen pokes out just above the head.
- Plythrough 2: Spiderant Warrior
- Playthrough 2.5: Spiderant Slayer
Queen Spiderant
Queen Spiderants are very large Spiderants. They can be distinguished by their large size and bluish coloring. While they will slash with their large scything talons at times, they prefer to hang back and shoot volleys of large, powerful white projectiles. The larger, delayed-blast projectiles from these mighty matriarchs have been known to instantly cripple a Vault Hunter otherwise distracted by other Spiderants. Their abdomens are huge in comparison to their heads allowing for easy criticals.
- Playthrough 2: Spiderant Matriarch,
- Playthrough 2.5: Queen Mother Spiderant
King Spiderant
King Spiderants are huge Spiderants with a pale brown coloring similar to the Worker. While similar in size to Queen Spiderants, they have larger heads and small, relatively well protected abdomens. Kings attack exactly like Workers do, except they can leap longer distances, and they are more damaging. Rarely will they shoot volleys of large whitish exploding sacks, which is fortunate as they can be excessively damaging and hard to avoid.
- Playthrough 2: Spiderant Overlord
- Playthrough 2.5: Spiderant Emperor
Badass Spiderant Burner
Fire Spiderants like to fight from medium range, using a powerful incendiary version of the projectile attack used by the Soldier Spiderants. They occasionally fight up close, but they're much more likely to stay at range. They can perform an attack like a Spiderant Gyro. Fortunately, they have reflexes of a Worker up close, and a massive, vulnerable abdomen.
- Playthrough 2: Badmutha Incinerator
- Playthrough 2.5: Superbad Cremator
Badass Spiderant Zapper
Shock Spiderants like to fight up close and personal, and can easily do plenty of damage to your shields using an area-effect shockwave attack that also possess a knock back effect. Zappers also have an electrical/shock version of the projectile attack that is fairly weak. Their abdomen is one of the smallest in proportion to the head compared to other Badass Spiderants, making it harder to hit. Although you can achieve criticals by aiming at its "crown" similarly to soldier spiderants.
- Playthrough 2: Badmutha Shocker
- Playthrough 2.5: Superbad Fulminator
Badass Spiderant Corruptor
Corrosive Spiderants like to fight from a distance, using volleys of corrosive needle-like projectiles fired from their abdomens. Their elemental attacks pose less threat than their incendiary and shock cousins, but the corrosive damage they deal can soften up a Vault Hunter for attacks by other Spiderants, especially Soldiers. Their abdomens are very large, and can be easily shot when they fire their corrosive needles.
- Playthrough 2: Badmutha Infector
- Playthrough 2.5: Superbad Desecrator
Spiderant-Traps
Spiderant-Traps are Spiderants that have been assimilated by the Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap to fight on the side of the Robot Revolution. Spiderant-Traps act exactly the same as their normal counterparts however their appearance will differ somewhat. Spiderant-Traps wear the "claptrapped" headgear of an assimilated creature, have some or most of their organic armor plating replaced by riveted metal plates, have visibly pulsing lines that appear similar to fiber optic lines, and have a Claptrap-type red reticle embedded in the middle of their head armor. Spiderant-Traps appear only in Claptrap's New Robot Revolution.
Borderlands 2 Spiderants
For the most part, the same variations of Spiderants are encountered in Borderlands 2, with their name variations in playthroughs over normal being similar.
Spiderling
Spiderlings are the lowest and weakest form of Spiderants. The only attacks they do seem to have is the web shooting from its abdomen and a leap attack.
Spiderant Worker
Spiderant Workers are found in almost all Spiderant areas, and are identical to those found in Borderlands. Workers can easily be identified by their rather big head shell compared to the rest of their body. They can use their web from close range to disorient their enemies and then attack them directly with melee attacks. Even if weak, their front shell is big enough to protect them from all front attacks. In True Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Velite. In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Slave.
Spiderant Soldier
Spiderant Soldiers are located in most of the Spiderant areas. They have a brown color with rock like shell. Soldiers acts as the ranged unit along with elementals spiderants. When spotted, the Soldier will launch 6/7 web projectiles that does damage instead of "stunning" you like the Worker. They are rather strong in melee but will not move to engage if the target is far. In True Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Arbalest. In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Brawler.
Spiderant Warrior
This Spiderant variant is a mid-level Spiderant wich is first encountered in The Dust. The Warrior will leap at you and deal heavy damage in melee. Unlike the Soldier, they do not have any ranged attack, making them rather weak if attack from a safe distance. They are indentified by their blue-ish, purple spiky shell. In True Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Legionaire. In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Slugger.
King Spiderant
The King Spiderant is a foe to be reckon with. They have high damage attack, ranged attack and a good resistance. The Kings are simply stronger variant of a Warrior mixed with a Soldier. They first appear in The Dust, near Ellie's garage. They are indentified by their yellow/green shell with spikes. In True Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Emperor. In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Monarch.
Queen Spiderant
Queen Spiderant
Queen Spiderants are the nest leaders; they are never found alone. They have a red and black color-scheme and are much tougher than normal spiderants, including the king spiderant. If killed via being hit in the abdomen (Crit. spot), multiple spiderlings will spawn[citation needed]. In True Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Matriarch. In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, they are renamed Procreator.
Notes
- It is possible to kill Spiderants using an Outrunner with a missile launcher turret before they surface by pressing the lock on button in the vicinity of burrowed Spiderants. The missile launcher will immediately lock on to the nearest Spiderant and the splash damage from the missiles will hurt and kill the Spiderants without them surfacing. This is also possible with other area-of-effect weapons (most notably rocket launchers), but the locations of the Spiderants will have to be guessed. Using the machine gun turret for this merely makes the targeted and all adjacent Spiderants surface.
- Stun effects can be stacked. This will allow for a prolonged shooting session at the vulnerable parts of the creature.
- Explosive weapons will stun a Spiderant almost twice as often as other guns. [citation needed]
- When firing from the front, shots bound for the top of a Spiderant's head will sometimes reach the abdomen for a critical hit.
- The corrosive element seems to have more effect than the other elements, although this could be just due to the 'splash' nature of corrosive weapons.
- Multiple stacked daze effects can create the humorous situation of a gyro rolling at little more than walking speed.
- Elemental DoT will randomly disorient all varieties of Spiderant. A player with a good elemental (preferably corrosive, due to its long DoT duration) weapon can keep a spiderant completely defenseless as they stagger and are open to abdomen attacks.
- The Bloodwing can attack burrowed Spiderants. If sufficiently upgraded, it could devastate a group of burrowed Spiderants before they could surface and attack.
- If a Fire Spiderant is thoughtlocked just before it burrows itself into the ground, the glob will be visible above the ground till the thoughtlock period is over.
