Summary

  • Complete the "Networking" quest and defeat the Masked Stranger to unlock the Orb Weaver Buggy recipe with the Network Center TURBO Optical Disk.
  • Build a Hatchery and Spider Nest, gather saddle materials, and collect an Orb Weaver Egg from under Headless BURG.L.
  • Hatch the egg in 24 in-game hours and ride your Orb Weaver, leveraging its combat abilities and web-traversing mobility.

The Orb Weaver Buggy in Grounded 2 is a powerful, combat-focused mount that offers superior mobility and offensive capabilities compared to the Red Soldier Ant Buggy. Unlocking it requires progressing through the main story, gathering specific materials, and navigating dangerous areas. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of obtaining the Orb Weaver Buggy, from unlocking the recipe to hatching the egg, ensuring you can ride this fearsome spider across Brookhollow Park.

Step 1: Complete the Networking Quest

To unlock the Orb Weaver Buggy, you must first complete the "Networking" main story quest, which is the 15th quest and marks the end of the current story content in Grounded 2's early access. This quest culminates in a challenging boss fight against the Masked Stranger at the Network Center, located inside the BURG.L statue at the easternmost part of the map.

  • Preparation: Gear up with strong weapons (like the Gloom Skewer) and armor, as the boss fight is demanding. Ensure you have healing items and a fully upgraded Omni Tool.
  • Boss Fight: Defeat the Masked Stranger in the robot arena. This fight requires careful dodging and strategic use of your weapons due to the boss's high damage output.
  • Reward: After defeating the boss, enter the room beyond the arena to find Sloane’s desk. Pick up the Network Center TURBO Optical Disk next to BURG.L’s detached head. This disk is critical for unlocking the Orb Weaver Buggy recipe.

Step 2: Unlock the Orb Weaver Buggy Recipe

Take the Network Center TURBO Optical Disk to any Ranger Station terminal at a Ranger Outpost. Insert the disk to unlock the Orb Weaver Buggy bundle in the Science Shop for 5,000 Raw Science. This bundle includes recipes for the Spider Nest and the Orb Weaver saddle. You’ll likely have earned 2,000 Raw Science as a reward for scanning the disk, so ensure you have the remaining amount by completing side quests or MIX.R events.

Step 3: Build a Hatchery and Spider Nest

To hatch the Orb Weaver Buggy, you need a Hatchery, which you should already have from unlocking the Red Soldier Ant Buggy during the "Egg Hunt" quest. If not, craft one using:

  • 6x Weed Stems: Harvest from dandelions or hardy weeds (requires a level 2 Omni Tool axe).
  • 1x Acorn Top: Found at the base of acorn trees, broken with a hammer.
  • 5x Acorn Shells: Obtained from acorns.
  • 5x Mite Fuzz: Dropped by mites in various areas.

Optionally, build a Spider Nest to store your Orb Weaver Buggy and manage multiple mounts. The materials needed are:

  • 6x Weed Stems: Same as above.
  • 6x Pine Needles: Found in needle bundles in the pine area (top left of the map) or dry bricks area, requiring a level 2 Omni Tool axe.
  • 6x Web Fiber: Dropped by spiders or collected from spider webs.
  • 4x Silk Rope: Crafted at a spinning wheel using web fiber (1 web fiber per rope, so 10 total web fibers for the nest).

Step 4: Gather Materials for the Saddle

To ride the Orb Weaver Buggy, you need a harness (saddle). Collect the following materials:

  • 3x Blueberry Leather: Crafted from blueberry chunks (found on the picnic table or near the ice cream stand) at a workbench. Use a level 1 Omni Tool axe to harvest.
  • 4x Red Ant Mandibles: Dropped by red soldier ants in the anthill near the Snackbar Outpost.
  • 3x Acorn Shells: Same as above, from acorn trees.

Be cautious when gathering blueberries, as these areas are hotspots for spiders, bees, and mosquitoes. Use your Red Soldier Ant Buggy for faster travel and to haul materials if needed.

Step 5: Find an Orb Weaver Egg

Orb Weaver Eggs are rare and located in dangerous areas guarded by Orb Weavers, Orb Weaver Jrs., and Spiderlings. The easiest and most accessible location is underneath Headless BURG.L, located at the center of the map between the Snackbar and Ceremony regions.

  • Location Details: Circle BURG.L’s body to find a tunnel entrance leading to a small cave. Inside, you’ll find multiple Orb Weaver Eggs guarded by spiders. Other locations include under the Picnic Table Lamp Post (north) or the Ice Cream Cart Lamp Post (south), but these are riskier due to Wolf Spiders or Scorpions.
  • Strategy: Use your Red Soldier Ant Buggy to carry the egg, as it’s faster and can hold the egg securely, preventing drops if you’re hit. This also may prevent additional spider spawns (though this could be a bug and may not persist in future updates). Alternatively, clear out the spiders first or grab the egg and run on lower difficulties.

Step 6: Hatch the Orb Weaver Egg

Return the Orb Weaver Egg to your Hatchery and deposit it. Ensure you have the saddle materials ready (listed in Step 4). The egg takes 24 in-game hours to incubate. During this time, you can sleep or complete other tasks.

  • Important Note: You cannot have two Buggies active simultaneously. Before hatching the Orb Weaver, deposit your Red Soldier Ant Buggy into an Ant Nest via the Construction menu.

Step 7: Ride and Master Your Orb Weaver Buggy

Once the egg hatches, equip the saddle to ride your Orb Weaver Buggy. This mount excels in combat and mobility, with the following abilities:

  • Web Crawler (Passive): Walk across web bridges and environmental webs without slowing down, enabling access to shortcuts like climbing BURG.L or the Hot Dog Stand.
  • Web Throw (Active): Shoot webs to slow or trap smaller enemies (e.g., Aphids, Gnats). Less effective against larger or faster bugs like Mosquitoes or other spiders.
  • Intimidate (Active): Roar to scare off weaker enemies (e.g., Larva, Mites) or attract larger ones. Note that this isn’t a true taunt, so it may not be ideal for crowd control against stronger foes.
  • Combat Prowess: Deals stabbing damage with basic and charged attacks, instantly killing small enemies like Weevils or Aphids by running over them. It’s more durable and hits harder than the Red Soldier Ant but cannot haul materials or chop through roots.

Tips for Success

  • Prepare for Combat: The areas with Orb Weaver Eggs are dangerous. Equip strong armor and weapons, and consider playing on lower difficulties to reduce enemy aggression.
  • Use the Red Soldier Ant: Its speed and carry ability make egg retrieval safer and faster.
  • Build Near BURG.L: A base near Headless BURG.L simplifies egg retrieval and reduces travel time.
  • Manage Buggies: Use the Spider Nest to store and switch between your Orb Weaver and Red Soldier Ant, as each has unique strengths (e.g., the Ant for hauling, the Orb Weaver for combat and mobility).

Why Choose the Orb Weaver Buggy?

The Orb Weaver Buggy is a late-game mount that shines in combat and exploration. Its ability to traverse web bridges and deal significant damage makes it ideal for navigating Brookhollow Park and tackling MIX.R events or O.R.C. Transmitters. While it lacks the Red Soldier Ant’s utility for building, its speed, durability, and offensive capabilities make it a worthy investment for players who’ve progressed through the main story.