Ranging Bloyster

Ranging Bloyster
Appears in	Pikmin 2
Scientific name	Molluschid predatoria
Family	Mollusking
Areas	None
Caves	Shower Room, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages	The Giant's Bath
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eats Pikmin

The Ranging Bloyster resembles a large Toady Bloyster, and is possibly named for its longer mouthparts or increased travel range. These creatures have an affinity for shiny objects and will track your active pilot's light beacon, making them impossible to approach unnoticed from behind.

This creature is found only on the last sublevel (7) of the Shower Room, Sublevel 7 of the Hole of Heroes (along with two Cannon Beetle Larvae and two Decorated Cannon Beetles), and the last sublevel (2) of The Giant's Bath in Challenge Mode. It is possible to kill the Bloyster in a matter of seconds relatively easily with two players on the Challenge Mode level.

There is a glitch that makes the Ranging Bloyster still "live" after you kill it. If you kill a Ranging Bloyster while its antenna is still glowing, and if you're lucky, the tail left behind by the Bloyster will still glow and beep; however, it will only glow if you take it in the ship. When it is put in, there will be a strange light that appears on the ship. It is more explanatory if the player has seen it himself/herself.

Notes

Olimar's notes

“This species of mollusk has shed its shell through the process of evolution. What appears as a flower-shaped protrusion on its back actually functions as its gills. The ranging bloyster ensnares small animals with its sticky tentacles, reels them in, and consumes them. Observers have noted that this creature exhibits a keen interest in flashing objects. It often tries to capture and ingest these objects. Researchers and explorers equipped with flashing identification beacons should be wary when in close proximity to this dangerous predator.”

Louie's notes

“Notes:Ranging Bloyster/louie”

Artwork of the Ranging Bloyster.

Strategies

This beast can be difficult to defeat in a timely manner, but with the right strategy, can be overcome without losing any Pikmin. The Bloyster will hunt your active captain and will change its target accordingly if you switch. However, there is a slight delay between the time it stops chasing one captain and starts on the other. Use this to your advantage by placing each captain on either side of the beast. Lure it towards one, then switch with (Y ,minus for New Play Control! version,) and quickly toss Pikmin onto its vulnerable tail. Call them back when the Bloyster turns to face you, then repeat.

Another way to deal with this boss is to attack it with a single group of Pikmin led by both captains. Because it pauses slightly in order to track the leading captain, the idea is to keep switching control of your captains every time it turns your active captain's color. In this way, it is very easy to simply walk past it, step behind it, and throw Pikmin at the bulb on its tail without trouble. Be sure to call back any Pikmin that get shaken off their target.

In the Hole of Heroes as well as The Giant's Bath, the arena for the fight is very big, and you can easily corner the Bloyster. Defeat the Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae and Decorated Cannon Beetles in the Hole of Heroes by having them shoot rocks at each other. The Ranging Bloyster cannot be harmed by the rocks. Then, have a captain lure the Bloyster to one of the corners of the room. The captain will be close enough to keep the Bloyster's attention, but the Bloyster cannot reach the captain, as its range does not reach the corners of the room. Have the other captain bring all the Pikmin to the other side, switching between the two captains while approaching to keep the Bloyster's attention on the one out of reach. When close enough, throw Pikmin onto its tail, while switching to keep it from attacking the group of Pikmin. If a spray or purples are used, the Bloyster can be defeated within less than a minute without casualties.

If the Bloyster's tail is proving too difficult to reach, Purple Pikmin can simply be thrown onto its back, which will deal damage upon impact and have a chance of stunning the creature, preventing it from fighting back. A large group of Purples is recommended, for if the Bloyster is not constantly kept subdued, it can quickly turn and gobble up the player's Pikmin.

A much more time-consuming method is to have a 100 strong army, confront the Ranging Bloyster, spray it, and then toss Pikmin onto its back. When it unfreezes, simply spray it again, and any Pikmin that were thrown off will leap back on it to continue the assault. Note that this can take multiple Ultra-bitter sprays and the Pikmin will likely revert back to leaf Pikmin when thrown off, but it is a far safer method.

As a last resort, White Pikmin can be fed to the Bloyster, each dealing heavy damage when eaten. To ensure less Pikmin loss, Ultra-spicy spray at least 4 White Pikmin.