Strategy:Arachnotron

Overview

The Arachnotron is a ranged attacker, equipped with a lowish-power (1d5x5) but somewhat accurate (+3) plasma gun. Even in the best circumstances, fighting a ‘tron in an open area is a hairy proposition, but a straight-up gunfight is seriously complicated by an Arachnotron’s 130% Speed. This essentially means that an Arachnotron will get to make (assuming normal move/act speeds for the player) 4 actions for every 3 of your actions. Generally, these actions will be to fire upon the player should s/he be in view, and those extra actions have a nasty tendency to appear at the exact worst times.

Arachnotrons are fairly durable with 50 hitpoints and 2 points of armor, so fairly heavy firepower is necessary to bring one down efficiently. However, their high speed results in an enemy that can lay down a very heavy field of fire. Circlestrafing or sidestepping is somewhat effective, but two factors work against the player who attempts this. First, the sheer number of shots an Arachnotron can put downrange mean that at least a few bolts will hit you eventually, and Arachnotrons are frighteningly good at getting their extra action while firing on the player.This extra action essentially means that the Arachnotron will get a free cheap shot on a “stationary” player, since the player did not move immediately prior to the Arachnotron’s last move. (For more info, take a look at Dodge) Needless to say, this is very bad for the player.

Combat Tactics

Now that we know what we’re up against, how do we go about killing these things? As noted above, Arachnotrons are pretty tough, so we’ll probably need a few actions to bring one down. The threat of being counter-attacked should always loom large, so most of our tactics should generally involve firing such that our foe cannot retaliate.

Early-game (Hell’s Armory, ordinary floors at higher difficulty levels), your best bet is some flavor of shotgun and corner-shooting. Shotguns serve very well by permitting the player to attack blindly, and by knocking back the Arachnotron, forcing it to spend an action getting back into position. Knockback can also sometimes be used to push an Arachnotron into acid or lava, killing it more quickly, but often destroying their plasma cells in the process. If an Arachnotron is dumb enough to close into melee range while you have a shotgun equipped, you should think twice before firing at point-blank range. If the ‘tron is badly injured, and you’re certain that your next blast will kill it, then go ahead and fire. Alternatively, if the ‘tron is against a wall and won’t be knocked back, go to town- this particular foe is weak in melee. However, if the Arachnotron is fairly healthy and has a space to be knocked into, you may want to switch weapons- the danger is that you’ll knock the ‘tron out of melee range and it’ll melt you with easy short-range fire on a stationary target.

I generally don’t endorse using rapid-fire weapons against ‘trons unless your build really takes advantage of them. A chaingun in untrained hands will be a difficult and painful gunfight; a plasma rifle should do a bit better owing to the increased damage and armor reduction, but it’ll still be messy. Any rapid-fire master trait (especially Ammochain) lets a player go just about toe-to-toe with a ‘tron, generally by wasting the ‘tron first. Blind-firing into a known position is a fully viable strategy, but may be expensive, ammo-wise. Staying out of an Arachnotron’s sights is generally worth the ammo investment, and plasma users might be able to break even.

An unmodified rocket launcher is a rather poor choice for slaying ‘trons, but pretty much any practical mod setup or special rocket launcher is quite effective. A non-exhaustive list of “good” mod setups would include: 1 bulk mod, a micro launcher, or a tactical rocket launcher. Alternatively, a couple levels in Reloader will work; offsetting that slow reload time is crucial to using rockets against Arachnotrons. Since they already have the potential to double-act, the base reload time only makes that problem worse should you choose to reload at a bad time. Actually fighting Arachnotrons with rockets is pretty simple: check range, aim, shoot, reload and repeat. Rockets should usually deal knockback, and an Arachnotron engaged at the edge of viewing range should seldom retaliate effectively, if at all. 3 rockets will usually do the job, but will destroy the plasma cell drop.

The BFG 9000 is OVERKILL, and if you’re pointing one at an Arachnotron, it better have a lot of nearby ugly friends, or you better be sitting on a trainload of extra cells. The same problem with the rocket launcher (reload time) is also an issue for BFGs.

The last engagement option is to get up close and bash an Arachnotron’s ugly face in with a melee weapon. Surprisingly, this is a pretty good idea: Arachnotrons have -100% (yes, that is a negative) resistance to melee damage. Anybody can easily dispatch a ‘tron with a chainsaw, and a trained Brute can punch one out with little trouble. Arachnotrons can hit back for moderate damage, but it is a lot less than their ranged attack. Of course, the only problem is getting close…

Also, switching to your best armor is seldom a bad idea, just in case. This usually means Red Armor, or something with Plasma resist (if you’ve gotten lucky).

Other Considerations

Defensive traits such as Ironman and Tough as Nails don’t exactly shine against Arachnotrons, but the extra tankiness is the unsung hero that will keep you alive during a firefight. I typically take Ironman after getting a master trait on just about every build I do. Brute can be valuable as well, but charging an Arachnotron just for the sake of getting a melee kill is a bad idea; baiting a ‘tron into chasing you can simplify the “closing-in” problem, but you may take some hits. Dodgemaster is actually less helpful than you would think, since Arachnotrons attack in bursts, and the trait only affects the first dodge per incoming attack. Rank 2 in Intuition is always good, perhaps even too good- the application should be pretty obvious. Gun Kata has the potential to ruin Arachnotrons so long as your pistols have the capacity to kill your target in one clip. Ammochain is a time-tested classic trait; the near-zero ammo consumption combined with a well-modded weapon allows a player to easily outshoot ‘trons. If you’ve managed to get a really good suit of armor Survivalist has the potential to be absolutely hilarious and can totally negate an incoming volley.

One other thing: Arachnotron Caves (shudder). These fiendish levels have ended many a game for unfortunate Doomguys everywhere. ‘Tron Caves are seldom simple, and a lot of times your best bet is to simply try and bolt for the stairs or pop a Homing Phase. If you feel confident in your gear and your supplies, clearing the cave presents both challenge and opportunity. The challenges lie in the fact that caves combine huge open areas with lots of blind corners. Radar shoot where possible and try and stay behind cover if using shotguns. There are positions where you can see your target but they cannot see you (and thus cannot retaliate); these positions are not intuitive or easy to communicate, but can be figured out over time. If using a well-kitted rocket launcher (or derivative), try to isolate and snipe ‘trons individually just as they enter vision. This is often easier said than done, but a Missile Launcher really helps. Rapid-fire gunners should simply try and stay in cover and poke at Arachnotrons when they wander into view; gunners typically have the firepower to quickly dispatch ‘trons but nobody can really afford to get shot up. Of course, the opportunity presented is the pile of power cells that the Arachnotrons will drop, and occasionally loot and powerups on the floor. IronBeer 19:02, January 27 2012 (GMT)

Arachnotrons are mean little spiders. Their dealing plasma damage makes them a threat, but 1d5 damage per projectile isn't the end of the world. What's really amazing is that they have 50 health and 2 armor, so they'll take a pretty good beating before going down. Their 130% speed puts them on par with demons, but realize that this affects their firing speed as well as their movement speed. Corner shooting an arachnotron with a combat shotgun is one of the safest ways to take out an arachnotron with ordinary weapons, but in a pinch a rocket launcher is effective, as is a BFG if can spare the cells. Fighting an arachnotron out in the open is dangerous (though this is true against most enemies), but sometimes it is unavoidable; this is really when bringing out the rocket launcher is nice. Some people recommend activating run mode to avoid their projectiles more, but I don't think it's necessary unless you're going to run for cover or are fighting against multiple enemies. I am personally rather stingy with run mode, however, so it could be something to try.

Arachnotrons take double damage from melee and deal rather pitiful melee damage themselves, so killing them with melee is a decent option as long as you have at least a combat knife (though if possible I'd recommend just corner shooting with shotguns if a knife really is your best melee weapon; chainsaw is more doable). If you find yourself a couple of spaces away from an arachnotron with no cover immediately available, charging into melee range is probably your best option (running mode not necessary, in my opinion). Another way to get them into melee range is to just wait around a corner and shoot them to get their attention, and wait. Charging into melee towards an arachnotron at the edge of your vision is just asking for trouble though: you'll be taking plasma volleys, and in general charging into melee exposes you to fire from other enemies, especially ones that were out of sight behind the one you're after.

The worst case scenario is finding an arachnotron cave. Lots of spiders, lava, and a lack of decent cover makes clearing out the cave a formidable task. Some people would advice phasing past the level or running for the stairs, but I like making enemies dead, so let's assume that option is off the table. How can one clear out an arachnotron cave and live to tell about it? Well, the first step is usually going to be to find cover immediately, and it's a difficult step. This is a time where I'd recommend activating run mode if there's any arachnotrons around you. Hurry behind any group of rocks you see, and if you have a rocket launcher or even a BFG, this is a good time to bring it out. A melee weapon can actually be really useful here, as there will often be situations where an arachnotron comes sneaking around the corner of your rock cover, where he's too close to blow up (except with a BFG which doesn't hurt you) and where you can't corner shoot him with a shotgun. If you blast it with a shotgun, you'll just be knocking it back, and you won't be in a position to corner shoot, while it will tear you apart with plasma. It will be just a few steps away from melee range though, and melee doesn't cause knockback and will make the arachnotron fall fast. From your cover, try to corner shoot those spider bastards when possible, shoot them with rockets when you're in their line of fire, and melee them if they sneak up on you (probably not with your fists though). Matt_S 00:24, February 02 2012 (GMT)

Some facts, copied from wiki: 130% speed, (1d5)x5 plasma damage, +3 accuracy, 60% chance to attack, -100% melee resistance, 1d3+2 melee damage

As you can see, enemy is fast,very dangerous in ranged combat and pathetic in melee. Basic plan is simple - don't let it shoot you.Get behind the corner, or knock it back outside your FOV, or get to it.Even if you are incompetent in melee and don't have any melee wapons, it's still worth it.Just shoot it while it hits you(be careful not to knock it back though!).Pretty simple i think.

And now about caves - main source of hate for these guys. Two main strategies: running and sidestepping.Running implies -4 penalty to enemies' accuracy and gives bonus to dodge chance during sidestep.

On HNTR and HMP arachno caves are not that common and they spawn deep enough for you to be prepared for such encounters.BFG from halls of carnage is guaranteed and it works as good as always.Also number of spiders is not that big usually.

Whole 'nother thing is UV and N!. Lvl7 on UV, lvl6 on N! - that's how early i saw caves on that difficulties. Number of enemies is high - 6 and more - this number is not a fact, it's just rougly based on my experience. Now they have total +5 accuracy which means 74% chance to hit on the edge of your vision.That means if you are not running and not sidestepping then expect to get hit 4 times out of 5(Since they'are not always on max range). So if you have 0 armor, 4 arachnotrons can kill you in one turn if you decide on fighting them directly. Your usual weapons during early arachnotron cave encounter: pistol, shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher if HA's completed, chainsaw. None of these is enough to kill them before they kill you. That leaves you with only one option if you spawn in the middle - tactical retreat.Running somewhere where they can't swarm you.

Start running and carefully sidestep.If you're not sure if your next move is sidestep,or if it's impossible to sidestep all attacks, think and choose best possible.If you can get to you destination in 1 non-sidestep, better do two sidesteps.Hoping that several arachnotrons will all miss is silly, while actually sidestepping all attacks from 2 arachnotrons is quite possible and happened to different people.

Stairs/Invul globe - if you manage to get to it, you're safe.Do not even think about taking small health globes if you'are under enemy fire.Since they restore you from running to normal, arachnotrons again have +5 accuracy instead of +1, and since you spend your move not on sidestep, you'll lose much more than you could gain.Taking large health globes is safer, but even that can kill you.Same thing about using med-packs - beware of using them without cover.Being Technician here is a great help, as you can switch to running back after 0.1s of not-running.Taking berserk pack is safe, but against arachnotrons it's not as effective as usual as each hit will deal at least 1 damage.If you don't see stairs or nice powerup, run to cover.If you don't see one, then hope that you'are running towards something useful - there's not much else to say in such situation. AlterAsc 15:34, February 03 2012 (GMT)