Dropwig



Dropwigs are fast-moving, insectoid ambush predators that stalk the enclosures of Rain World. These creatures are very skilled at hiding in plain sight, and while fragile they are adept at quickly taking down their prey.

Appearance
As their name suggests, Dropwigs resemble large earwigs. They have a black or dark brown coloration, offset with slightly reflective purple stripes.

When lying in ambush, the Dropwig will dim its purple stripes to be less noticeable. Upon first glance they will appear like shadowy stalactites; upon closer inspection they have a symmetrical and menacing profile like a downward-reaching claw. Like most insects, two antennae crown the top of their small head, occasionally twitching whenever they sense the presence of another creature.

Attack Behavior
Dropwigs are ambush predators, they attack by attaching themselves to the ceiling and waiting in ambush until an unsuspecting victim walks underneath them. At this point the wig drops onto its prey, catching it with its large pincers. Just before it pounces, it will jerk its legs wide open in preparation to strike, giving a hint as to where they are hiding if they previously were not visible. They are quite intelligent creatures, often times placing an item they find (any item but mostly food like blue fruit) beneath their perch to lure prey into pouncing range. The drop attack is somewhat dangerous but avoidable with good reflexes. Alternatively, if one throws a spear at a Dropwig perched on the ceiling, it will drop down instantly, allowing the player to jump down after it and spear it while it recovers from landing. Dropwigs are supposed to keep you always on your toes and never quite able to relax--every room is a potential danger and you need to be on your best game always!

Even on the ground Dropwigs are not to be trifled with, as they can perform an agile leap, similar to a Big Spider. Spears are key to defeating a mobile Dropwig, because they leave themselves open for a moment right after they land.

Trivia

 * Dropwigs were a new creature released in the 1.5 update of Rain World.
 * An example of a Dropwig using an explosive spear to bait its prey can be found here.
 * Dropwigs are able to stack on-top of each other while perched on the ceiling, giving them even less visibility.
 * Dropwigs tend to ignore prey when climbing up to the ceiling- they will even shove it out of the way in order to climb up poles or latch to the ceiling.
 * Dropwigs will occasionally hide behind background objects such as chains and vines- making them even harder to detect.
 * Dropwigs are not very good at escaping wormgrass, so baiting them to those spots in outskirts is a viable yet tedious way of battling them if you think you can outmaneuver them.
 * The dropwig's pounce can be dodged by crawling, because they leap in a arc at the player. they seem to attack like this to counter people used to jumping over enemies.

Bugs

 * Slugcat moves much faster in pipes while holding a dead Dropwig.