Armored Arachas

The armored arachas is a heavily protected kind of arachas. Like all arachasae it carries strong pincers, a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and venom glands loaded with deadly toxins. What sets this one apart is its armor: it hides its soft, sack-like abdomen under a covering of hollow tree trunks worn on its back. It usually opens a fight by spitting venom.

It hits back after taking a few blows, lunges at you from a distance and poisons whatever it hits, so it’s a patient, grinding fight more than a fast one.

In The Witcher 3 you meet armored arachasae in the wilds of Velen, including outside Novigrad, where they guard treasure. One also turns up in the Skellige Isles during Practicum in Advanced Alchemy. While looking for pimpernel in the Morskogen Forest south of the Druids’ Camp, Geralt and a druid find it next to a neat pile of stones covering the body of the old druid Jorre the White. Killing it takes a while, so you may want to find the grave first. The trail then leads up the hill to the succubus the druids have been visiting.

Combat strategy

An armored arachas punishes long combos. After about three hits it strikes back, so land two or three blows and roll away before it answers. Watch for the long-range lunge, and don’t stand in front of it when it rears up to spit venom. Trees and rocks are useful: put one between you and the arachas to block the lunge.

The armor on its back makes the fight drag on, so keep a steady rhythm instead of trying to burst it down. Bring a few healing potions or some food, since even a careful fight usually means taking a poisoned hit or two.