|
Spoiler! This article contains potential story spoilers for Grounded. |
|
"Oh, hell no! I'll fight giant bugs all week long, but I draw the line at scary ass, man-bug monsters." |
| -Max |
|
"It's a real life mant! Just like the one in the Minotaurs and Myrmidons Player Book." |
| -Pete |
|
"What… is… that?" |
| -Willow |
|
"Is that Dr. Tully?" |
| -Hoops |
The Mant is a Boss Creature found in the Undershed Lab, blocking the path to Dr. Wendell Tully. It can only be defeated once, similar to the Assistant Manager.
Fight[]
Phase 1[]
During this phase, it has 3 attacks: A normal punch, a violent slam that reduces movement speed, and a 3 hit combo of side swipes that will move it forward. Dealing with this phase is fairly simple, as the only threat is direct contact with the Mant itself. It also gains 25% damage resistance at this phase.
Phase 2[]
At 75% health, it will slam its chest and scream, summoning a Fire Worker Ant to its aid. In addition, it gains access to 2 new attacks; a ranged spore bomb that it will pick from the fungal growths on its back and hurl at the player, and an explosive eruption similar to the way Infected Larva attack, in which it will bend down and unleash 3 close-range explosions from the fungal growths on its back. It also gains 50% damage resistance at this phase.
Phase 3[]
At 50% health, it will scream once more, this time summoning a Fire Soldier Ant. It will also gain the ability to shoot a ball of web from its arms that, should it make contact, will slow the player down and reel them in closer to the Mant. In addition, its three-hit combo occasionally gains an extra swipe at the end, turning it into a four-hit combo. It finally gains a total of 70% damage resistance at this phase.
Upon defeating the Mant, the player will unlock the Mantsterious Stranger Mutation, which has a 2% chance of summoning the Mant to your aid every time you attack something. They will also gain access to a button which opens the way to the final area of the Undershed Lab, where Dr. Wendell Tully awaits.
New Game+ Changes[]
In New Game+1, in phase 2 when it throws its explosive spore attack, every entity it hits will spawn an aggressive infused Mini-Mant. The amount of Mini-Mants that spawn depends on how many entities are hit by the explosion, including the player, friendly summons, and even the Mants own summons. For example, if the bomb hits 4 friendly Spiderlings and a Mant's Fire Worker Ant summon, it will summon 5 Mini-Mants. These Mini-Mants have 500 health, though they will instantly die after 20 seconds after spawning.
Advanced Loot Table[]
This is a more advanced covering of the loot-table of Mant. Each item has an independent chance and count, in which the chance is the chance it can drop and the count is the amount of items that have that chance. If a count larger than 2 is in one section, then each item has an independent chance from one another (EX: Instead of getting say 1-2 of a resource, you can get 1 with a 70% chance and another with an additional 70% chance). In terms of Stealing, it can take one item from every section of the loot table, so even if a item count is say 5, the player will only steal one from that section.
Creature Loot Tables also tend to have large amounts of 1% items, which is intended to make stealing more rare items harder, as the player is more likely to steal the large amounts of 1% items than a singular 50% item.
Note: For consistency sake, all duplicate categories have a multiplier next to them, but function as unique loot types when say using Stealing.
| Item | Count | Chance | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
 Infused Greatsword
|
1 | 25% | New Game+4 |
 Infused Hammer
|
1 | 25% | New Game+4 |
 Infused Hammer
|
1 | 25% | New Game+4 |
 Infused Hammer
|
1 | 25% | New Game+4 |
 Raw Science
|
1000 | 100% | Not Stealable |
Strategy[]
The Mant is a somewhat challenging fight, but some additional strategies can be used to make it easier:
- Use the Mint Mace to exploit its Fresh weakness and deal heavy damage.
- A Toenail Scimitar, Tick Macuahuitl, or a Rusty Spear are also viable.
- Upgrading tools using Smithing Station will significantly help in a fight.
- Bring a good shield to help defend against its powerful punches.
- Be sure to prioritize its ant summons, as they can be annoying if left alive.
- Its fungal attacks can actually damage or even kill its minions in the right situation.
- Be sure to avoid its fungal back attack, as its damage is strong enough to 2-shot a well armored player.
- Running with a Black Ox Crossbow and Mint Arrows can be a useful alternative if the player is underprepared, weak, or bad at perfect blocking its attacks.
- The Fungal Charm can reduce the damage of the spore explosions, making survival of them much easier.
New Game+ Strategies[]
The following strategies are more advanced and specific, tailored to the changes made in New Game+.
- Use the Frosted Flake or Fresh Edge with Chopper for maximum damage against the Mant.
- The Fresh Coldtana or Breathslayer are also viable if the player has a good randomized trinket with Samurai.
- In the case that a Mini-Mant is spawned, do not try to attack the Mant or its summon, simply run away for 20 second for the Mini-Mant to die.
- Natural Explorer, Aphid Slippers and the quickness effect from New Game+ trinkets can massively help with this.
- The web launch attack in phase 3 can be devastating, as it is not able to be blocked and will inflict whatever infused effects the Mant has.
- It can be dodged, though the player has to run left or right of it in a straight line and jump as its launched, similar to dodging the Wasp stinger launch attack.
Expert New Game+ Strategies[]
This last strategy is the most advanced and requires the player to be in New Game+ 4 and above. These strategies are focused towards speedrunning the respective Boss, not killing it consistently. Note that the Mant is a non-repeatable story boss so there are two main ways to reset and re-roll: enter a new New Game+ cycle, or leaving the arena and going far enough away so that when you return, the Mant has been reset.
- Weapon:
- The only Tools required are the Infused Club and the Fire Ant Shield.
- The Infused Club should have a combo of Fresh Damage Up Minor, Major, or Best, and Finale Fury or Implant Weakness: Fresh.
- This also works with the Infused Crossbow.
- Armor:
- There are two sets the player can use: Koi Scale Armor, which is not required to be upgraded or a combination of an Eyepatch, or Lucky Hat, and Fire Ant Armor.
- Pets:
- The most recommended Pet is the Baby Fire Ant for its +Attack.
- Trinkets:
- The recommended Trinket is a Glowbasa Necklace or Science Cone with at least two of these buffs: Implant Weakness: Fresh (if the club does not have it), Boss Damage, Fresh Damage Up Best, Finale Fury (if the club does not have it), or Crit Damage Up Best.
- Mutations:
- The recommended Mutations are: Parry Master, Coup Dè Grass, Trapper PEEP.R, and Shocking Dismissal.
- Edibles:
- The best Edibles for the build are: Perfect Toast, Liquid Rage, Boss Sauce, and Green Machine.
- The smoothies do not need to be sticky or beefy.
- Notes:
- Make sure to only block the attacks until the Mant gets the Corrosion debuff.
- If any stun, or speed debuffs are inflicted on the player, the player should restart the run.
- Sleep in the Petal Bed before the run for Status Effects that are god for combat.
- Ignore the summons as well.
Trivia[]
- The name, "Mant", is a portmanteau of the words Man and Ant, which quite accurately describes this creature.
- The creatures seen in the lab seem to hint at the Mant being an amalgamation of traits from Orb Weavers, Infected Larvae, and Fire Worker Ants with some added traits from Tully's inventions.
- The Mant's web attack animation is a reference to Spider-Man's signature "web sling" hand position, in which a person makes an inverted "Sign of the Horns".
Gallery[]
Relevant Quests[]
| ||||||||||||||||||||