Grounded 2 introduces a significant new mechanic: the ability to craft and ride certain insect mounts, greatly enhancing map traversal speed and convenience. While buggies aren`t immediately available, understanding the unlock process is crucial for early access. This guide will walk you through how to acquire and construct your very own Red Soldier Ant Buggy in Grounded 2.
How to Unlock the Red Soldier Ant Buggy
Mild spoilers: To unlock the Red Soldier Ant Buggy, you must first advance through the main storyline. Specifically, complete the “Missed Connection” quest. This mission involves venturing into an anthill to locate and scavenge the remains of an Ominent employee. Upon finishing this quest, you will gain the option to purchase the necessary blueprints for constructing a Hatchery.
How to Build a Hatchery
The Hatchery blueprint, essential for your buggy, costs 500 Science Points and can be acquired from the Science Shop at the Ranger Station. If you`re short on points, prioritize completing in-game challenges, which is generally quicker than seeking out the pink glowing orbs that also provide Science Points. However, collecting these orbs as you encounter them is always beneficial.
Purchasing the Hatchery blueprint unlocks three new crafting recipes:
- The Hatchery itself
- Red Soldier Ant Buggy
- Ant Nest
To construct the Hatchery at your base, you`ll need the following materials:
- 6 Weed Stems
- 1 Acorn Top
- 5 Acorn Shells
- 5 Mite Fuzz
Acorns are commonly found at the base of trees, for instance, in the Entrance region, but appear elsewhere too. Weed Stems are primarily obtained by chopping down dandelions, often identifiable by their tall, prominent presence among the grass.
For the Red Soldier Ant Buggy specifically, you`ll require a particular ant egg in addition to saddle materials. The complete list of materials for the buggy is:
- 2 Grub Hides
- 3 Sprigs
- 1 Acorn Shell
- 1 Red Soldier Ant Egg
How to Get a Red Soldier Ant Egg
Obtaining a Red Soldier Ant egg necessitates a perilous journey into another anthill, where you`ll encounter and must combat numerous Red Soldier Ants. These formidable insects are significantly larger than the common worker ants found on the surface.
Within the anthill, you will eventually discover a lab area containing a reddish-brown egg in a test chamber – this is a Red Soldier Ant egg, but it`s initially inaccessible. Proceed further, and you`ll find another location where these eggs are obtainable. Be aware that you can only carry one egg at a time, and it cannot be stored in your inventory. Therefore, if combat arises, you`ll need to drop the egg, fight, and then retrieve it before continuing. It`s highly advisable to be well-prepared with a strong weapon, protective armor, and ample healing bandages before attempting this.
How to Hatch the Egg
Transport the acquired egg back to your base and place it inside the Hatchery you constructed. The Red Soldier Ant egg requires 12 in-game hours to hatch, which translates to roughly 25 minutes of real-world waiting time.
Once hatched, interact with the Hatchery to claim your new companion! Congratulations, you now possess a loyal ant mount that will dramatically expedite your travels across the game world. This versatile creature not only provides faster movement but also offers storage capacity, can assist in gathering resources, engage in combat against other insects, and, delightfully, can be petted.