Adult Arachnoid

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SS3
SSVR:TLH
SS4

Adult Arachnoid

General information

Type

Medium-far range assault/support

Affiliation

Mental's Horde

Individual information

Health

600

Attacks / weapons

Chaingun (1-2 per bullet, 20 bullets fired per burst per hand, 40-80 damage total)
Pincer/sting (40)
Kicking (50)
Rocket launcher (Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope)

Equipment

Techno-magical ammunition replenisher

Size

20–25 ft (6-7 m standing)

Game information

Point value

6000

Entity name

Arachnoid_General (Serious Sam 3: BFE)
Arachnoid_Rocketeer (Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope)
Arachnoid_Adult (Serious Sam 4)

Other information

First appearance

Serious Sam 3: BFE

Last appearance

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem

For the baby version, see Hatchling Arachnoid.

For a similar enemy in Serious Sam: The First Encounter and Serious Sam: The Second Encounter, see Arachnoid.

"Man, you are UGLY!"

―Sam Stone^[src]

The Adult Arachnoid is a tough variant of Arachnoid introduced in Serious Sam 3: BFE. It laters appear in Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope, Serious Sam 4, and Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem. A formidable opponent equipped with tough armor and equipped with two large chainguns, these creatures serve as heavy assault units in Mental's army and make use of tactics such as utilizing suppressive fire on the enemy.

Overview[]

As their name suggests, these creatures are fully grown Arachnoids. They are far much larger than the hatchlings, as well as their previous incarnations seen in both First Encounter and Second Encounter. They are members of a race of scorpion-like aliens that originate from the planet Scorpius. These creatures belong to a powerful thecractic civilization that worships Mental as a messiah. The Arachnoid religious leadership values brute strength and mindless devotion above all else, creating a violent society of relentless conflict and constant power struggles.^[1]

Appearance-wise, the Adult Arachnoid is a large, red scorpion-like creature standing approximately 20-25 feet tall; more than four times the size of the hatchlings Their bodies feature six insect-likelegs, two pincers on their arms, a large stinger meant for close-range combat, and feature dark or crimson red skin has been reinforced with plated armor. Their armored plating provides the creature with moderate protection in combat, especially from small-arms fire such as shotguns, pistols, or assault rifles.^[2]

In Serious Sam 4, the Arachnoid has been given a new design that is very different to the version seen in the previous game. Instead of having pincers with concealed chainguns within, they feature dexterous hands, which they use to carry their chainguns. They have also been given new sounds. In Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, the Arachnoid has been given different sounds that differ slightly from the Serious Sam 4 version.

Appearances[]

Adult Arachnoids are quite scarce compared to the Hatchlings, and usually appear alone or in pairs. They are usually positioned on top of buildings or in enclosed areas with little room to take cover from their gunfire. In some cases, they can erupt from underneath the ground, indicating that they sometimes bury themselves and immediately pop out to surprise their opponents as part of an ambush tactic.^[3]^[4]

Serious Sam 3: BFE[]

The first Arachnoid encountered is fought as a miniboss at the end of "Into the Spider's Nest", just as Sam is about to exit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Later in the game, they are somewhat common enemies, though they usually appear in small groups and spawn far away from the player.^[3]

Serious Sam 4[]

The first Arachnoid to appear in the game is fought in the level "Gates of Hell", alongside Hatchling Arachnoids. They soon become more common, replacing Hatchlings in the later levels and on higher difficulties.

An Arachnoid working alongside the French Resistance as an informant, called Charlie, is introduced into the game as a supporting character. She assists Sam and the resistance to get to the castle in Carcassonne, and also reveals how she ended up on Earth, Mental's plans on overthrowing all intelligent life in the universe, and the backstory of her how race came to be.^[5] This is the first and only known instance in the series of a member of Mental's forces willing to desert their post and fight alongside the humans to assist them in overthrowing Mental.^[4]

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]

The first Arachnoid to appear shows up at the abandoned oil refinery in "The Song Of The Stormbringer". Several then show up during the mech segment and appear more frequently later on.

Like other tough enemies, Arachnoids become much more numerous when playing on New Game+ mode.

Application[]

Arachnoid firing — An Adult Arachnoid about to open fire at Sam.

Being tough and formidable opponents, Adult Arachnoids are often deployed alone or in pairs, though there have been instances where several of them will appear at a time.^[6]^[7]. They are used to provide support and covering fire for lighweight troops such as Cloned Soldiers and Octanian Gamma Troopers. Depending on the situation, they can be seen one at a time or in large numbers. In large, open areas and in the countryside, Arachnoids are generally positioned on top of cliffs or rock formations in order to scout the area for enemies and to force the target(s) into cover.

Behavior and skills[]

Adult Arachnoids are far much tougher than the Hatchlings thanks to their thick exoskeleton. Their exoskeleton has been further augmented by armor plating, which covers their torso, back, and flanks for additional protection.^[2]^[1] This armor allows them to withstand a substantial amount of small-arms fire and can survive a few direct hits from sniper rounds and explosives.

Like Hatchling Arachnoids, the adults have the abiliy to dig underground. When they sense the target nearby, they will immediately come up from under the surface to engage them.

Adult Arachnoids have a different attack pattern compared to their Serious Sam 1 versions; while the ones in both The First Encounter and The Second Encounter shoot decently-damaging bullets at a rather average rate, the Arachnoid shoots low-damaging bullets at a very fast rate. Additionally, they are faster, can often avoid slower projectiles, and are not as susceptible to flinching while damaged. When they do flinch, this can temporarily prevent them from firing as they recover more quickly.

At closer range, the Arachnoid will either whack the player with one of its pincers or sting them with its tail. These attacks are deadly and deal a lot of damage, especially on higher difficulty settings. Additionally, directly touching an Arachnoid can be even more dangerous, as it will kick the player away for 50 Kicking damage on top of the 40 Punch damage each pincer smash or tail sting does.

Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope[]

Arachnoids have had their arms replaced with rocket launchers instead of chainguns. As soon as they see the player, they will raise their arms up and fire a burst of rockets. As they are equipped with these weapons, this makes them more dangerous than before.

Serious Sam 4/Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]

The Arachnoid behaves almost identically to that of its Serious Sam 3 counterpart, with the exception that it can now take triple damage when it is shot in the head. They can also become briefly stunned if their health has been depleted rapidly. If the player has the Rodeo skill active, they can get behind a stunned Arachnoid and ride it. When riding an Arachnoid, the player can fire its chainguns using the primary fire button, while the tail stinger is activated with the secondary fire button.

In Siberian Mayhem, the Arachnoid has been given new sounds, and will now say "djachdrax" when about to open fire on the player. According to Charlie, this means "asshole" in her language.^[8]

Weaponry[]

Adult Arachnoids carry advanced chainguns (or rocket launchers in Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope) that are equipped with techno-magical ammunition replenishers. These are their primary weapons in combat. When they spot the target, they will charge up their chainguns and open fire, releasing 20 bullets per hand (40 in total), then stop, and repeat that sequence after a short interval. Driven by their fanatical belief in their sacred task, an Arachnoid can occasionally enter a berserker-like rage, shooting indiscriminately regardless of who or what is in their line of fire.^[1]

Their second weapon is either their large pincers or using their powerful sting from their tail, which they will use if the target is right in front of them. This melee attack can inflict heavy damage to a single target.

Tactics[]

Serious Sam 3: BFE[]

Boss[]

The Arachnoid boss has 1000 HP, almost twice as much health as a normal Arachnoid.
This version of the Arachnoid is able to destroy cover. If cover has been too badly damaged, the player should sprint to another pillar or move to another side of the pillar, depending on their situation.
If using the 12 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun, reload while behind cover or between Arachnoid bursts.
The hidden Double Barrel Coach Gun, and XL2 Lasergun found earlier in the campaign are very helpful against the Arachnoid boss. The coach gun does much more damage against the Arachnoid than the regular shotgun, while the lasergun can tear apart the Arachnoid within seconds.
- In Serious Sam Fusion, if the player obtained the secret XPML21 Rocket Launcher from Summer in Cairo, they can use it against the Arachnoid and deal heavy damage to it.
Remember that there are plenty of ammo, health and armor supplies scattered throughout the arena, so try and grab some while the boss is between minigun blasts if they're needed.

Enemy[]

When facing off with an Arachnoid, the player's first priority should be to find cover. The Arachnoid can quickly slice up the player because of how many bullets it fires if the player is unable to find cover. It's recommended to shoot the Arachnoid after the machine gun volley is over. Once the Arachnoid has stopped firing, open fire on it until it has been killed.
One can tell the Arachnoid is about to open fire as soon as it opens its pincers and starts shooting. The player should keep note of this and use it to their advantage whenever they need to find cover.
As the player will encounter several more Arachnoids after the level Into the Spider's Nest, the amount of debris and obstacles such as cars on the streets can provide an advantage for the player and be used as great cover when they need to dodge oncoming gunfire.
The M29 Infantry Assault Rifle is somewhat effective against Arachnoids, but it takes more than an entire magazine to kill one. It is recommended to fire at the Arachnoid after it has fired its guns.
The A-24 Devastator or XPML21 Rocket Launcher are very effective against the Arachnoid, but the player needs to be at medium range or closer in order to hit it with the rocket launcher. As most Arachnoids strafe frequently, one is able to dodge slow projectiles, such as rockets from the rocket launcher. The Devastator's projectiles are fast enough that the Arachnoid can't avoid them in time, so the player is free to engage it at nearly any range.
If the player found the secret RAPTOR Sniper Rifle in the early levels, it will be very effective against the Arachnoid. Rapid fire will make it flinch, but several rounds will be needed to take them down. Do note that the RAPTOR's ammo is quite rare, thus making it more useful as a last resort.
A C-4 Demolition Charge is also effective against Arachnoids. All it takes is one attached charge to kill an Arachnoid. Without being attached, it will take roughly two or three to kill one depending on how close the Arachnoid was to the detonation.
Multiple Arachnoids can be dealt with powerful rapid-fire weapons, such as the lasergun and the XM214-A Minigun. The lasergun and minigun can quickly kill Arachnoids because of their high rate of fire and damage per shot, although their usefulness is offset by the lack of ammo for the minigun and especially lasergun in the campaign. A single charged SBC Cannon shot is enough to kill one, which makes it another effective weapon for groups.
The Arachnoid is a significant threat when paired with other enemies. Its miniguns can inflict a large amount of damage, even from far away. It should be one of the first enemies targeted so that it can't quickly chip away at the player's health and armor.

Serious Sam 4/Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]

The same tactics for the Serious Sam 3 Arachnoid work just as well on the Arachnoid in this installment.
Strong weapons such as the MK III Grenade Launcher, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, and XPMR "Burner" Raygun are effective at eliminating Arachnoids.
Like other enemies, Arachnoids will take extra damage when shot in the head. The player should use this to their advantage and fire at their head whenever possible. Weapons like the Devastator and sniper rifle work very well for this purpose.
- The coach gun, if dual-wielded, can kill an Arachnoid within at least two well-placed hits to the head.
As the lasergun appears as a regular weapon in this game, it works very well against Arachnoids due to the weapon's high damage output, especially if it is fired continously.
The TCC-2 "Perun" Crossbow is a very effective weapon against Arachnoids from a distance. A single shot to the head will kill one.
The FRPCL can be used to destroy groups of Arachnoids and is especially useful as a last resort.
When riding an Arachnoid, use its chainguns to destroy hordes of weak enemies. However, be careful of large hordes of female Gnaars, Kleer Skeletons, or especially Beheaded Kamikazes as they can kill the Arachnoid easily, especially due to its slow speed.

Behind the scenes[]

Early concept sketches of the Serious Sam 4 Arachnoid show different designs of the creature, with parts of its body exposed and using different weapons aside from the chainguns it normally uses.

Trivia[]

Illegally downloaded or cracked versions of Serious Sam 3 have a DRM/anti-piracy mechanic that features a miniature invincible Arachnoid that will chase the player.^[9] It attacks identically to a regular Arachnoid, but it travels at an extreme speed. Despite being invincible, it can be killed with the "kill all" console command, and attacking it enough can also still stun it like a regular enemy.
In the original version of Serious Sam 3, despite that Adult Arachnoids smack their targets with their pincers instead of their tail, an on-screen obituary message reading "(player name) was stabbed by an Arachnoid." will appear if a player is killed by an Adult Arachnoid's melee attack in cooperative modes.
Major Slick Stinger, the first boss of Serious Sam's Bogus Detour, is a slightly larger version of the Adult Arachnoid, and is equipped with a chaingun and energy launcher.
The Arachnoid's chainguns are concealed within their pincers in Serious Sam 3, while in Serious Sam 4 they carry them separately in their hands.
In The Last Hope, Arachnoids use the same sounds as the classic Arachnoids rather than their own sounds.
- Additionally, they use the same rocket launchers as the Major Bio-mechanoid.