Firebug

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"Firebug"
Details
Code name	FireBug
Behavior	Neutral to Aggressive
HP	1.4
Food Pips	2 3 2 1
Points	5
Regions : Rubicon

Firebugs are arthropod-like creatures exclusive to the Downpour DLC, found only in Rubicon. They carry Fire Eggs on their backs, protecting them from being taken by other creatures. They sport a very similar body shape, abilities and behavior to Eggbugs. Their Eggs, eyes and Spears are the same color, which varies between pink, red and orange. Their body is usually dark with a gradient in one of the forementioned colors.

Appearance

Firebugs posses numerous thin black legs attached to their main body. Two short antennae hang down from their fairly round head. They have red eyes. Their bodies are thin, and their top side is riddled with 'eggs' that are detachable and combustible when thrown or when falling and colliding from a high place.

Tips

Combat

Though they appear harmless, they explode when attacked, releasing the Fire Eggs on their backs and showing aligned Spears angled towards their back. They then begin pursuing the attacker with agile and sharp maneuvers, following the quickest route towards their target. Use Rubbish to stun them for a short time, which offers the opportunity for attack. Using the Fire Eggs they drop is an easy and reliable way to take care of them, killing them in one hit. They almost always require two hits to kill, even if a regular Spear is used.

An efficient way to kill them is to stick a Fire Egg to their body and hit it with Rubbish before the explosion triggers, causing their explosion protection to be disabled. This allows the player to hit them with Spears and extra Fire Eggs to take them down.

Like other arthropods, Firebugs can be killed with a Spore Puff. This is relatively quick and very convenient, as it does not activate their aggressive state or the corresponding explosion. However, there is limited use for this as Spore Puffs do not spawn in Challenges or in Rubicon.

Evasion

Firebugs are difficult to evade over dry land once aggravated, but they cannot swim. By luring one into water or void fluid, or swimming down and away from it, they can be easily avoided, though they will still be aggravated. Slugcats can also jump to evade their attacks. Finding a Shelter and resting in it resets their behavior back to neutral.

Abilities & Behavior

When not aggravated, Firebugs skittishly roam the room, avoiding any confrontation with any creature that they perceive as a threat. They turn hostile when injured, and begin hunting the attacking creature down in retaliation. They can climb poles, walls, and ceilings, and can use Fire Spears from their bodies.

They are immune to explosions while the eggs are attached.

Relationships

Default relationship	Ignores (0)
Wants to eat	Slugcat (0.5)  •   Slugpup (0.5)
Afraid of	Stowaway (0.9)  •   Giant Jellyfish (0.2)
Antagonizes	Eggbug (0.5)  •   Firebug (0.5)

Utility

Firebugs drop Fire Eggs and Fire Spears. They can drop multiple of each. Fire Eggs can be eaten for 1 food pip , or thrown and detonated similar to a Grenade, but with a much more delayed explosion time. The explosion radius is large enough to fling and stun nearby objects or creatures. Fire Spears can be used by any Slugcat, even the Saint, dealing more damage than the standard Spear and leaving gas particles and a bright white flash when thrown.

Variants & attributes

Firebugs have a variation of the hue of their brood, with their eggs being tinted a radiant yellow, crimson, rose, or pure scarlet. This pigment correlates with their eyes and Fire Spears adored along their back. Firebugs can additionally vary in the length of their antennae.

Trivia

• The aggressive mode is easily missed in a normal run. The only place they spawn in is Rubicon, the final area of the Saint's campaign, and they can be quickly disposed of at that point of the game.
• Challenge 54 'Fire Pursuit' forces Saint to fight four of them without Karma powers, which shows how dangerous they are when enraged and how useful their spears and eggs actually are. It is likely that this is the first and only time their aggressive state is experienced in a given playthrough.
• Because of their lack of grab animation, they can easily bypass pipe-juking invulnerability and catch the player as soon as they exit a pipe.
• If Saint Ascends a Firebug they are holding, they may die or get knocked out of bounds by the explosion.

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