Why the Pinch Whacker Is Worth Its Scorpion-Sized Risk
If you’ve spent even a handful of hours in Grounded 2, you know that survival often boils down to swinging the meanest stick you can find. Enter the Pinch Whacker—a one-handed robotic arm that delivers a short-circuit punch and serious stun power. Not just an endgame tease, this bad boy reshapes how you tackle the Fire Pit’s nastiest nooks from mid- to late-game. Fire, explosives, and scorpions beware.
What Makes the Pinch Whacker Special
- High-Stun Area Damage: Finale Short Circuit zaps all nearby foes after your final combo hit.
- One-Handed Agility: Keep one hand free for a shield or torch—no more switching back and forth.
- Crowd-Control Champion: Perfect for solo runs or co-op mayhem against swarms of ants and scorpions.
- Mid-Game Power Spike: Outclasses most clubs at this stage, letting you tackle tougher enemies like Mixers earlier.
Before You Dive In: Prerequisites and Prep
Securing the Pinch Whacker is half planning, half guts. Prepare thoroughly before you brave the Fire Pit’s northern tunnels.
1. Unlock and Craft Bratbursts
The Whacker hides behind a blastable wall that only responds to Bratburst explosives. You’ll need at least two. The recipe unlocks during The Art of War quest. To craft them, gather:
- Spicy Shards: Drop from Red Ant Hills when you upgrade your Omni-Axe or Omni-Hammer to mid-tier. A stack of 10–15 is usually enough.
- Red Ant Eggs: Smash ant egg sacks around the northwest yard—look for them near the anthill clusters.
- Mite Fangs: Defeat Mites patrolling the Fire Pit rim, especially near the purple soda can landmark.
2. Upgrade Your Gear
- Omni-Axe & Omni-Hammer: Mid-tier or above to reliably harvest Spicy Shards.
- Armor & Healing: Reinforced armor, healing salves, and bandages—Northern Scorplings hit hard and fast.
- Light Source: Torch, glowstick, or battery-powered lamp to navigate shadowy tunnels.
- Extra Fuses: Pack spares in case you need a second or third go at blowing up that wall.
Farm Materials Faster
If you’re low on Spicy Shards or Red Ant Eggs, try these quick farming tips:
- Hit multiple ant hills in one loop—each mid-tier axe swing can net you 1–2 shards.
- Set up a small moss camp near the anthills to spawn eggs continuously; revisit every 5–10 minutes.
- Bring a ranged weapon to thin out Mites quickly along the Fire Pit’s border before dipping back for fangs.
Step-by-Step: Claiming the Pinch Whacker
1. Locate the Hidden Tunnel
Travel to the Fire Pit’s northern edge, just east of the giant purple soda can prop. Scan for a cracked wall with faint scorch marks. Stick to the right side path—stepping left can drop you into molten rock pits.
2. Clear Out the Scorpion Guards
Inside the tunnel mouth, Northern Scorplings and Scorpion Jrs patrol in packs. Lure them out one at a time: use ranged hits to draw a single scorpion away, stun-lock with light melee swings, then finish with a shield bash if needed. Keep moving to avoid poison cloud build-up.
3. Plant and Prime Your Bratbursts
Place two Bratbursts side by side against the cracked wall, spacing them about a scorpion-length apart for a clean collapse. Light one fuse, then the other, and sprint to a pre-marked safe zone about 10 feet back. The fuses burn for roughly five seconds—time it so you’re watching the wall, not counting steps.
4. Race Through the Ruins
As soon as the wall caves in, dash forward. Watch for falling debris that can stun you mid-dash. If you nail the timing, you land in a small loot alcove lit by bioluminescent fungus. There, resting on a makeshift rack, is your prize: the Pinch Whacker.
Alternative Routes and Co-op Tips
Going solo is thrilling but risky. In co-op:
- Assign one player to hold the tunnel entrance, drawing scorpions out of the blast zone.
- Another player preps fuses while a third provides cover fire against stray scorpions.
- Share extra Bratbursts so nobody has to backtrack if a fuse burns out.
Why It’s More Than a Gimmick
The Pinch Whacker’s Finale Short Circuit perk is a game-changer: after your combo finisher, every enemy in range is stunned cold. Scorpions freeze in mid-charge, Mixers collapse, and swarms of ants pause—giving your team a golden window for massive DPS.
Advanced Strategies and Upgrades
- Perk Fusion: Add Berserker Boost for faster combo chains or Shock Extension to widen the stun radius.
- Armor Synergy: Equip the Electric Coil Band to deal extra shock damage whenever a stunned enemy recovers.
- Speed Tactics: Use dash-enhancing perks to zip in, unleash a full combo, then dash out before scorpions can regroup.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
- Loot every Fire Pit chest—each one can hold extra Spicy Shards or Bratburst fuses.
- Don’t forget torch fuel. A dark tunnel without light can turn explosive prep into a guessing game.
- Keep backup bombs on your hotbar in case you need to blast a second section of wall.
- If you mistime the explosion, retreat, heal up, and reset the fuse rather than pushing through low on health.
Conclusion
Grabbing the Pinch Whacker is a mid-game balancing act of preparation, timing, and guts. But once you’ve got this crowd-control marvel in hand, your Fire Pit runs become electrifyingly efficient. Arm up with Bratbursts, light that torch, and face the scorpions head-on—your future self will thank you for the stun-powered edge.