The Forest: Mutants - Enemies The Forest Guide
Last update: 28 December 2022
Mutants are the second group of opponents encountered in The Forest. These enemies are much more dangerous than any of the cannibals - they deal much more damage, are more durable, often move very fast, and require a special approach to defeat them. Fortunately, at the beginning of the game mutants are only encountered in caves - they appear on the surface only when the player kills large amount of cannibals.
Armsy (Octopus mutant)
Armsy was previously known as the Octopus Mutant. He is a large (much bigger than the player or cannibals) enemy equipped with three pairs of hands, a lot of health points, and powerful attacks - most of the time, two attacks are enough to kill an unarmored player.
The enemy fights with his hands - consider eliminating him from a distance using a firearm. A bit of training should enable you to fight him in melee range, but watch out - even if you are able to block an attack, you'll receive some of the damage. The enemy has a tendency to attack your buildings (and does it very efficiently - he is able to destroy any structure in a few seconds) - when he appears next to your base, better lure him outside and fight him there.
The game also contains a variation of this mutant known as Blue Armsy who has a low chance of appearing. Visually, he does not differ much from a regular mutant, as he simply has blue skin instead of red, but the blue variant has more health points and deals more damage.
Virginia (Spider mutant)
Virginia was known as Spider Mutant in the previous incarnations of the game. The enemy is similar to Armsy, the only difference being that she has three pairs of legs instead of hands. Similarly to the aforementioned mutant, Virginia deals a lot of damage and can take a lot of punishment - 1 or 2 attacks are enough to eliminate your character (if you aren't armored). The mutant has the ability to "spawn" new mutants (Mutant Baby - described in the further part of this chapter). Similar to Armsy, the enemy can destroy your buildings very quickly - it is better to lure and fight the mutant outside of your base.
The enemy is equipped with a few different attacks. When your character approaches the mutant, she will perform an attack using his legs. Virginia has a charge attack that deals a lot of damage. Stay alert and ready to avoid it - all you have to do is to stay mobile and jump away to avoid the damage. As in the case of every mutant, Virginia is best taken care of using ranged weapons or Molotov cocktails.
The game also contains a variation of this mutant known as Blue Virginia who has a low chance of appearing. Visually, she does not differ much from a regular Virginia, as she simply has blue skin instead of red, but the blue variant has more health points and deals more damage.
Cowman
The third type of a mutant - a deformed fatman who uses his body to attack the player. He can perform a charge during which he can change his course (enabling him to hit the player even if he manages to get away from the initial course of the charge), as well as jump in the air and fall on the ground, injuring the players found in the attack radius. The enemy deals serious damage and has a lot of survivability.
Do not be misled by the opponent's body - during a charge he can move very quickly, even being able to reach a sprinting character. For this reason, one shouldn't run away from him after the encounter begins - use ranged weaponry, Molotov cocktails, or bombs to take care of him from a safe distance. Similarly to Armsy and Virginia, the enemy can destroy your buildings with a single hit - it is better to lead the mutant out of the base.
Mutant Baby
A deformed infant. This mutant is much smaller than the cannibals and travels very slowly by dragging his body on the ground. Nevertheless, stay alert - these opponents can "be fired" in the direction of the player dealing serious damage if they hit their target. While in combat, keep holding the block button and counterattack after an unsuccessful launch. Their huge damage output is counterweighted by low durability - all it takes is a single hit with any weapon.
Mutants behavior
Mutants (for now at least) are only equipped with melee attacks, so you don't have to worry about unexpected ranged attacks. If it comes to blows, remember about following tips:
- Sidestep often and make attempts to circle the opponent (or opponents). The worst thing you can do is to charge at an opponent and spam attack button mindlessly.
- Observe your opponents - if your enemy has made a move backwards, run to your side as fast as you can. Jumping back means that the enemy is preparing for a charge which (if the attack strikes) will deal huge damage, especially if you aren't wearing any armor. The opponents use this attack often if they are a few meters from you.
- Make sure to fight on an even, open, ground and if it's possible, removed of vegetation (especially high trees). The reason is simple - you may not be able to see your opponents clearly, which enables them to mount a surprise attack, suddenly coming at you from a bush.
- If you are able to block attacks efficiently, you can attempt to fight mutants in melee range, blocking their hits (right mouse button) and responding with counterattacks.
- Use ranged weaponry, molotov cocktails or Flare gun. The ranged weaponry enables you to engage your opponents from a safe distance, while Molotov cocktails or flare gun can cause the opponent to burn and receive damage over time. Use bombs on mutants that haven't detected you yet - hitting a charging mutant with a bomb isn't simple.