Fighting Beached Things in Death Stranding Death Stranding guide, walkthrough
Last update: 11 November 2019
On this page of our Death Stranding guide you will find all the important information regarding encounters with beached things (BTs), which are invisible creatures that you encounter while playing. You will learn how to avoid detection, how to escape them, whether you can fight and defeat them and how to get grenades that can be used to fight them.
- Locations with beached things (BTs)
- How to avoid being detected by beached things?
- Escaping
- Where to get anti-BT grenades?
- Using grenades against BTs.
- How to get the Anti-BT Handgun?
- An alternative option - cutting the umbilical cord
- How to use an Anti-BT handgun?
- How to deal with squids?
Locations with beached things (BTs)
In the game world, there are many locations inhabited by beached things. Getting through some of them may be required for some quests. If the quest doesn't involve a confrontation with a BT, you can retreat and search for a different path to your objective.
At first, the main character cannot fight against the beached things, but he can detect them. After you get close to a group of BTs, a short cut-scene will begin depicting automatic activation of the scanner.
How to avoid being detected by beached things?
In locations with beached things, make sure to sneak, which involves pressing the crouch button. Beached things are invisible but your scanner will turn to the nearest creature.
- As the distance to a BT decreases, the scanner will tick faster and faster.
- Once you get very close to a BT, the scanner will turn to orange (as shown in the picture).
The silhouette of a BT will appear only if he is close to the main character. If you have trouble recognizing a monster, press the R1 button to perform a terrain scan. For a moment, the creature will become visible.
Stay away from BTs and maintain safe distance. If you feel that you are very close to detection, press R1 to hold your breath. This will make it difficult for BT to detect the player.
Escaping
If you have been detected by a BT, you can use a grenade (more on them below) or attempt to escape. During the escape, try to avoid tripping over a stone or some other object.
If you get caught, press square rhythmically to get free. Moreover, try to escape from the black ointment area, as only then the creatures will stop attempting to capture Sam.
you can be caught by BT, when you are traveling on a motorcycle. They will throw Sam out of the vehicle. There is also a risk of damaging the motorcycle and the carried cargo. If you're driving a vehicle, it's best to deal with BTs first or find another way to your target.
Where to get anti-BT grenades?
The first weapon able to do damage against BTs is unlocked after completing Order No. - the fourteen story mission. 14 - Aid Package Delivery: Port Knot City. As a reminder, this quest involves a long trip to the port with an intent to leave the starting area of the game.
At the same time, you can undertake the fifteen story mission - Order No. 15 - Equipment Trial: Hematic Grenade. The mission will allow you to test the grenades described below, used to get rid of BTs.
Once you accept the fourteen story quest, you'll unlock access to Hematic Grenades. These grenades use Sam's blood to fight off attacked BTs.
You'll receive the first few grenades once you begin the mission (each grenade has 5 charges). You can find more in the game world (including those left by other players) or build them yourself thanks to crafting.
Hematic Grenades work in an unusual way, as they require Sam's blood which means depleting the hero's health points.
Fortunately, there are alternative ways of charging the grenades - Blood Bags, blood containers that can be stored in your inventory. If you have a container, the blood will be taken from it first, and so your health will remain unchanged.
Containers with blood can be automatically "crafted" by resting in the hideout (filled by transfusion) and picking them up from the Private Locker They can also be found in the game world, received from quest givers or crafted. It is recommended to have at least two blood bags in your inventory - fortunately, there are very light.
Using grenades against BTs.
Once you approach a location with BTs (e.g. during the fifteen story mission) hold the right direction on the d-pad to display a drop-down menu. Choose Hematic Grenades from the menu
If you don't see the grenades on the list of inventory items, press the right analog stick to proceed to the next page.
Once you detect a BT, aim at him - the greande needs to hit the floating creature.
A successful action will lead to an "explosion of blood" The BT won't be permanently killed, but he will be banished, resulting in the same effect.
We recommend scanning the area after getting rid of a BT, as they leave valuable loot - chilorium crystals.
How to get the Anti-BT Handgun?
An Anti-BT handgun is a weapon that you will obtain by progressing through the main story. You need to complete the Order No. 33 - Hourglass Delivery: Chiral Artist. From now on, it is possible to manufacture this item by using crafting, but you can also find it in the game world.
An alternative option - cutting the umbilical cord
This method of defeating the BTs appears later in the game - you can cut a monster's umbilical cord. This action is available after you finish order #44 and meet with Mama. The main character in the process of the cut-scenes will cut the umbilical cord of a BT child with whom the woman is connected.
From now on, you can behave the same way with the "levitating" BTs. Every time you encounter them, you need to find a monster thanks to the antenna and sneak near it. The black strand running away from the silhouette of the detected BT is its umbilical cord.
The screen should display information that cutting the umbilical cord is possible - you need to press the Square. If you succeed, that BT will fly away and will no longer haunt you. It is worth noting that doing this for the first time unlocks Rest in Pieces trophy.
How to use an Anti-BT handgun?
Each gun has 8 charges and after they're used up the gun can be thrown away or recycled. Anti-BT handguns have similar characteristics to the hematic grenades described above - they need blood to operate, which is taken directly from your health bar or from the carried blood bags.
An important feature of this handgun is the possibility to control its attack strength. We recommend that you always hold down the R2 button to amplify the attack and deal as much damage as possible. That way, you won't waste ammunition on weaker attacks.
How to deal with squids?
During the game, aside from standard BTs, you can also encounter monsters that are similar to squids. Once you encounter this type of monster, you can react in two ways:
- If you don't have Hematic Greandes - escape. Run in any direction and try to leave the area covered by black goo. Do not try to hide on the rocks or roofs of buildings, because this kind of objects can get submerged in goo.
- If you have grenades, you can throw them at the squid. Each explosion will weaken the monster a little. At least one of these confrontations will take place during the story - we described it in detail in Bosses.