Decorated Cannon Beetle
| Decorated Cannon Beetle | |
|---|---|
| File:Decorated Cannon Beetle.jpg | |
| Appears in | N/A |
| Scientific name | Granitus decorum |
| Family | Lithopod |
| Areas | Valley of Repose, Wistful Wild |
| Attacks | Launches magnetic boulders |
Decorated Cannon Beetles are enemies in Pikmin 2. They have an appearance similar to Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae, but are red instead of green, and have orange eyes. They, too, spit out stones, but their rocks home in on the currently active captain due to the magnetic field which envelops the boulders. This particular species is never found buried in the ground like Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae. Even when they are found in caves which are made of metal (which is rusty, indicating it contains iron), the spacesuits are the only thing the boulders home in on.
The best way to defeat it is to go alone and wait for it to spit out a rock. Since the rocks follow the captain, they can be manipulated. However, it is impossible to get a rock out of a lower water-filled area. The rocks can follow the captain into the same Beetle that spat them out and damage themselves. This is the most simple and easy way to kill them. These rocks can also be used to defeat other enemies with the same method, but know that one rock can be crushed by another rock, so keep that in mind while guiding a rock. The longer a rock rolls, the more damage it'll do to the enemy it hits. As a note, the rocks it shoots out cannot be petrified. These boulders also act quite well against other enemies as well, killing small ones instantly and larger ones in one or two hits (depending on where they hit; if the boulder strikes the target's head, it will cause significantly more damage, even to the beetle itself).
Glitches
Activate the Piklopedia. Select the archive for this creature. Throw Pikpik carrots at the Beetle, making sure that they land in front and to the side of it. The Beetle will then spit out a rock, which will roll around to hit the Beetle if done correctly. When the rock crashes on the Beetle, the Beetle doesn't die, no matter how many times this is performed.
In the end of day sequence at the Valley of Repose, a Decorated Cannon Beetle often appears. Sometimes it will shoot rocks (which occasionally strike and injure/kill other enemies), inhale, and walk much faster than normal.
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Killing Methods
Pikmin
It is advised not to use Pikmin to attack this creature, instead using the captain-strategy, but if there's not enough room to kill it with its own attack, the Armored Cannon Beetle Larva strategy should be used.
Captains
The player needs to wait for it to shoot out a rock, then slowly walk back around toward the beetle, making sure to avoid sharp turns, so the rock is directed to hit the beast. The impact should lower its health about half-way, depending on how far the rock follows the captain. This should be repeated until the creature is dead. Boulders can also be led into other enemies, often defeating smaller ones with a single blow. If there's not enough room to do this, the Armored Cannon Beetle Larva strategy should be used.