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Armored Mawdad
File:Armored mawdad.png
Appears in Pikmin 3
Scientific name Unknown
Family Unknown
Areas Garden of Hope
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages None
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages None
Side Story days None
Bingo Battle stages None
Attacks Traps and eats Pikmin

The Armored Mawdad is a boss enemy from Pikmin 3, and is the first major boss encountered in story mode, found in the Garden of Hope. It is a massive, centipede-like beast with a multitude of small gecko-like legs, a large head, yellow eyes, a bluish-green underbelly, a gaping mouth, and large curved mandibles. Most of its body is covered in segments of crystalline carapace that must be broken by Rock Pikmin.

Notes

Pikmin 3 Website

"This extra-large creature can be found in hollowed-out trees. Its exoskeleton is made of crystal."

Strategy

The Armored Mawdad is almost constantly in motion, crawling around the stage in erratic patterns. When it gets a clear view of a group of Pikmin or the current leader, it will charge and scoop up Pikmin with its massive mandibles. During this time, it will commence eating Pikmin (5 at a time) with its wide tongue, during which it will stop moving, allowing players to throw Rock Pikmin at the crystalline armor to break it away. This will aggrivate the boss and save the trapped Pikmin. The now-exposed flesh can be freely attacked with any other available Pikmin types.

Once a quarter of its health is drained, it will begin to crawl on the walls of the arena, making it more difficult to predict which direction it will attack from next. Locking onto the Mawdad by scanning it will give a better representation of where it will strike next. If not scanned, you can still tell where it is by looking at where the wood chips fall as it moves on the walls. As more of its carapace gets broken away, the Mawdad's speed will continue to increase. Any Pikmin that are bucked off the creature's back while attacking will fall off and become idle. Players must take caution, as these Pikmin may become distracted by the various Spotcaps strewn about the arena.

If the player can land a successful hit on its mandibles, they will break, rendering it harder for the Mawdad to capture and eat Pikmin.[1] If a Pikmin latches onto one of its eyes, the Mawdad will become extremely agitated and aimlessly careen through the arena until the Pikmin is thrown off, and even ramming its head into walls in an attempt to shake the Pikmin off.

A much simpler strategy is to break its tail, then order your pikmin to swarm it. If done correctly, the Armored Mawdad shold be defeated or at least have very little HP left. Simply repeat the cycle. This strategy is used to fight the Armored Mawdad in under a minute. 

 
The Armored Mawdad's mandibles are used for trapping prey. They can be broken with Rock Pikmin.

Trivia

  • The Armored Mawdad was the first creature in Pikmin 3 to have its name revealed, about a year and 2 months before the game's release.
  • The Armored Mawdad bears a resemblance to the Emperor/Monochromatic Pinchipedes from Pikmin Adventure.
  • Due to its size, the Armored Mawdad's body is dragged to the Onion, rather than carried, and when it arrives, it phases through due to its massive size. This is true for all bosses, with the exeption of the Scornet Maestro and Quaggled Mireclops. When the Armored Mawdad is being absorbed by the Onion, the game seems to slow down. The same can be said for the Sandbelching Meerslug
  • The Armored Mawdad is one of two bosses that actually require Rock Pikmin. The other is the Quaggled Mireclops.

Gallery

References