Editing Frontier Cavern

|image    = Frontier Cavern sublevel 5.jpg

The '''Frontier Cavern''' ({{j|辺境の洞窟|Henkyō no Dōkutsu|Cave of Frontier}}) is the farthest cave found in the [[Valley of Repose]] area. It is of above-average difficulty, featuring most major types of grub-dog and rocks of both the falling and [[lithopod]] kind. The cave features a distinct "festive" theme, with [[Frigid Series|Christmas-themed treasures]], sublevels with snow hallways that have red brick walls (as if the player were in a chimney), and unique music featuring idiophone instruments for two sublevels. The cave's final boss is the [[Empress Bulblax]], which is slightly different than the one in [[Hole of Beasts]] in that it gives birth to [[Bulborb Larva]] every few seconds. In this cave, there are {{pokos|1395}} worth of treasures.

The cave features all hazards, so a Pikmin squad featuring all types of Pikmin is recommended. The [[Worthless Statue]] and the [[Priceless Statue]] have a high chance of spawning in water, so bringing at least ten [[Blue Pikmin]], or leaving enough room in your squad to obtain the cave's [[Bulbmin]], is highly recommended. Many treasures are underground, so [[White Pikmin]] are a must.

*'''Theme''': Snow

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Snow 3|Snow 3]]''

*'''Treasures''':

**{{icon|Essence of Rage|y}} (buried)

**{{icon|Essential Furnishing|y}} (buried)

*'''Enemies''':

**{{icon|Doodlebug|y}} × 3

**{{icon|Hairy Bulborb|y}} × 2

**{{icon|Snow Bulborb|y}} × 6

*'''Obstacles''':

**{{icon|Bomb-rock|y}} × 4 (drop from the sky in dead ends)

*'''Plants and fungi''':

**{{icon|Figwort|y}} (small) × 15*

**{{icon|Figwort|y}} (large) × 24*

**{{icon|Shoot|y}} × 1*

**{{icon|Violet Candypop Bud|y}} × 1 (in a dead end, and only if the Purple Pikmin total is [[Candypop family#Maximum Pikmin requirement|less than 20]])

*'''Others''':

**None

|enemymax    = 35

 

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{{listen|filename=Sublevel (1).ogg|title=An excerpt from the level's music}}

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{{listen|filename=Frontier Cavern Sub1.ogg|title=An excerpt from the level's music (enemy variant)}}

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This sublevel has many Snow Bulborbs and a couple of Hairy Bulborbs. Before engaging the Hairy Bulborbs, take out any Snow Bulborbs near it then attack the hairy monstrosities. Explore the area and have your [[White Pikmin]] [[Dig|unearth]] any buried treasures.

 

There is a Violet Candypop Bud if you have less than 20 total Purple Pikmin. When wandering about the area, you may encounter Doodlebugs. After they have emerged from their cover, they may skitter into a [[Figwort]]. If this happens you can wait until they move and release flatulence to locate them. This is a good time to stock up on [[ultra-bitter spray]]s.

 

<nowiki>*</nowiki>On ''[[New Play Control! Pikmin 2]]'', the Figworts are absent, and there are 12 shoots instead.

*'''Theme''': Snow

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Snow 3|Snow 3]]''

*'''Treasures''':

**{{icon|Joy Receptacle|y}}

**{{icon|Icon of Progress|y}}

*'''Enemies''':

**{{icon|Decorated Cannon Beetle|y}} &times; 2

**{{icon|Hairy Bulborb|y}} &times; 1

**{{icon|Snow Bulborb|y}} &times; 6

*'''Obstacles''':

**None

*'''Plants and fungi''':

**{{icon|Figwort|y}} (large) &times; 2

**{{icon|Figwort|y}} (small) &times; 4

*'''Others''':

**None

 

You are likely to fall where there is a large stump. Shelter all of your Pikmin behind it to protect them. Venture out into the sublevel without any Pikmin and use the Decorated Cannon Beetles to clear out any enemies. Then use one of the rocky projectiles to kill the other Decorated Cannon Beetle. Then have the rock-hurling creature kill itself by having the boulder home in on itself. Afterwards, take your comrades and collect the Christmas-themed treasures.

*'''Theme''': Snow

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Snow 2|Snow 2]]''

*'''Treasures''':

**{{icon|Danger Chime|y}} (inside Spotty Bulbear)

**{{icon|Fleeting Art Form|y}}

**{{icon|Gemstar Husband|y}} (buried)

*'''Enemies''':

**{{icon|Bulbmin|y}} &times; 1

**{{icon|Dwarf Bulbear|y}} &times; 6

**{{icon|Spotty Bulbear|y}} &times; 1

*'''Obstacles''':

**{{icon|Bomb-rock|y}} &times; 4 (drop from the sky in dead ends)

**{{icon|Electrical wire|y}} &times; 2

**{{icon|Fire geyser|y}} &times; 2

**{{icon|Gas pipe|y}} &times; 2

*'''Plants and fungi''':

**{{icon|Figwort|y}} (small) &times; 6

**{{icon|Ivory Candypop Bud|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

*'''Others''':

**{{icon|Egg|y}} &times; 2 (in dead ends, 1 drops from the sky)

When landing on this sublevel, be warned that two wandering [[Grub-dog]]s will be patrolling the area so it is advised you don't take your time. Gather all of your Pikmin and scout the level, deactivating any electrical wires and Dwarf Bulbears. If you can, locate the Bulbmin and kill it before the Spotty Bulbear as it will make things easier.

If there are any, gather the juvenile Bulbmin and locate the Spotty Bulbear. Use whatever killing strategy you want, just make sure you bring its corpse back if it did not disintegrate and the Danger Chime. Explore the area once all the hazards are cleared and collect and unearth any treasures.

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Concrete 2|Concrete 2]]''

**{{icon|Anode Beetle|y}} &times; 8

**{{icon|Bumbling Snitchbug|y}} &times; 3 (1 drops from the sky when you touch the Omniscient Sphere)

**{{icon|Swooping Snitchbug|y}} &times; 2

**{{icon|Bomb-rock|y}} &times; 2 (drop from the sky in dead ends)

**{{icon|Violet Candypop Bud|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

**{{icon|Egg|y}} &times; 3 (in dead ends, 2 drop from the sky)

{{listen|filename=Frontier Cavern Sub4.ogg|title=}}

Gather all your Yellow Pikmin and kill all the Anode Beetles, but watch out for the Swooping Snitchbugs and Bumbling Snitchbug. After all the Anode Beetles are massacred, take out the Swooping Snitchbugs and the Bumbling Snitchbug and proceed to collect the treasures. When you attempt to collect a treasure in an alcove, however, another Bumbling Snitchbug will drop from the ceiling. Kill it then continue collecting the treasure. There is a Violet Candypop Bud here to harvest more Purple Pikmin, but note that there is a chance that it will not spawn at all, as detailed [[Cave#Generation|here]] and [[Mistake#Missing sublevel objects|here]].

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Rest|Rest]]''

**{{icon|Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

**{{icon|Violet Candypop Bud|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

A rest sublevel, but unique as it is one of the only 3 rest sublevels to possess a treasure. There are some Mamutas here, so you can take any leaf or bud Pikmin you have to the Mamuta, and let it pound all of them into the ground, so they become flower Pikmin. Now kill the Mamutas until one of them drops the Brute Knuckles. Also kill the Caustic Dweevil before you collect the treasure as the four-legged nuisance will attempt to carry the Brute Knuckles on its back.

The Brute Knuckles allows you to use the [[Rocket Fist]] when collected. There are some Lapis Lazuli Candypop Buds and a Violet Candypop Bud here if you are low on [[Blue Pikmin]] and [[Purple Pikmin]], or you can use the Violet Candypop Bud to harvest 5 more Purple Pikmin. Killing the Unmarked Spectralids will cause them to drop nectar to power up your [[Maturity|leaf]] Pikmin and occasionally sprays.

*'''Plants and fungi''':

**{{icon|Egg|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

 

The reason why there was a Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud on the previous sublevel is this sublevel. Before taking your Blue Pikmin to collect treasure, have the Decorated Cannon Beetles kill the enemies, flame geysers, and each other then collected the two chess pieces with your Blue Pikmin and Bulbmin.

 

It is possible, although uncommon, for this sublevel to generate a layout with a second circular room with lumber and without the watery room with a ramp, and thus, require no Blue Pikmin to collect the treasures.

*'''Theme''': Soil

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Soil 1|Soil 1]]''

*'''Treasures''':

**{{icon|Flame Tiller|y}} (buried)

**{{icon|Spouse Alert|y}}

*'''Enemies''':

**{{icon|Dwarf Orange Bulborb|y}} &times; 10

**{{icon|Iridescent Glint Beetle|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

**{{icon|Orange Bulborb|y}} &times; 3

*'''Obstacles''':

**{{icon|Boulder|y}} &times; 13 (drop from the sky)

*'''Plants and fungi''':

**{{icon|Common Glowcap|y}} &times; 8

**{{icon|Ivory Candypop Bud|y}} &times; 1 (in a dead end)

*'''Others''':

**None

 

This sublevel has boulders falling from the ceiling, so when going from place to place, be cautious. Have a single leader cause the boulders to fall, preferably on the Dwarf Orange Bulborbs and Orange Bulborbs to kill or severely damage them. After they all have fallen, take your Pikmin and kill any stragglers and collect the treasures. Then have your White Pikmin [[Dig|dig up]] the Flame Tiller and collect it. There is also an Iridescent Glint Beetle on this sublevel that can be used to harness [[ultra-spicy spray]]s for the boss.

*'''Theme''': Soil

*'''Music''': ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Common boss battle|Boss]]'' (only when combating)

*'''Treasures''':

**{{icon|Repugnant Appendage|y}} (inside the Empress Bulblax)

*'''Enemies''':

**{{icon|Bulborb Larva|y}} (18 spawned at start)

**{{icon|Empress Bulblax|y}} &times; 1

*'''Obstacles''':

**None

*'''Plants and fungi''':

**None

*'''Others''':

**None

 

{{see also|Empress Bulblax#Strategy|t1=Empress Bulblax strategy}}

 

Time to have a rematch with the Empress Bulblax, only this time, it produces Bulborb Larva, always ravenous Grub-dogs. Have one leader clear out all or most of the larvae and have the other toss all the Pikmin up on the ledge behind the landing point. Have the leader you sent out call all the Pikmin and fight the huge Grub-dog. The Empress Bulblax also has more [[health]] than it did in the Hole of Beasts.

 

Don't worry about the larva after engaging the empress in combat as it will squish them when it does its rolling attack. After the battle, collect the Repugnant Appendage and kill any remaining Bulborb Larva. The Repugnant Appendage will grant the leaders a massive speed boost and the resistance to a [[Puffy Blowhog]]'s exhaling attack. Exit the geyser and continue your treasure hunt.

|JapM=Cave of Frontier

{{Caves}}