Grounded: How to get the level 2 Insect Axe and Insect Hammer upgrades

Grounded is an awesome game, and already sits among the best games on Xbox One despite being in early access. Already having clocked up 1 million players, Grounded will receive monthly updates starting at the end of August, adding new content and features, while squashing some of those early access bugs (bugs as in problems, not creatures).

One question I get a lot on my Twitter account is how to get level 2 axes and hammers, needed to harvest some of the tougher resources in the yard. If you don’t have time to explore it out for yourself, here’s what you need to know.

Insect Hammers are the level 2 hammer, required to harvest mints for Grounded’s most powerful weapon, the Mint Mallet. Insect Hammers are also potent one-handed weapons in their own right, and can be used to harvest a variety of higher-level crafting materials.

Materials needed: 4x Stinkbug parts, 4x Berry Leather (from 12x Berry Chunks), 1x Bombardier Beetle Boiling Gland.

1. What you need to craft an Insect Hammer is Stinkbug parts, Berry Leather, and a Bombardier Beetle Boiling Gland. Getting these items requires battles with Stinkbugs and Bombardier Beetles. You may want to craft some Acorn Armor from Acorn Shells and other common parts found near the big oak tree.
2. Stinkbug parts drop from Stinkbugs, which hide around the western side of the map to the north of the big rake in a large dry open area. They are flat and brownish in color, and far larger than most bugs you might have seen so far. They often roam south to the east of the rake in packs of up to four mobs. You can pull individuals away from the group using a bow and arrow, or by throwing a rock. Stinkbug bites hurt, so be sure to time your blocks. When they engage, they will spray noxious gas in an area of effect around them. Move away before that happens. Once they’ve released gas, they can’t do so again for anywhere up to 20-30 seconds, giving you plenty of time to attack.

   

   Source: Windows Central

3. You’ll also need a single Bombardier Beetle Explosive Gland, which can be tricky to obtain due to the aggressive nature of these critters. Bombardier Beetles are large bright green bugs that engage by shooting acid from their abdomens which cannot be blocked, and bite incredibly hard. You can cheese the fight by shooting them from afar, but once you get one in a safe place, strafing away from the acid and timing blocks well can see you through the fight pretty easily. They can be found all over the large rock where the rake is perched on to the west side of the map.
4. Last, you need Berry Leather, which is crafted from three Berry Chunks. You’ll need 12 Berry Chunks in total. Berries can be found on the hedge in the south middle edge of the map. Climb under the hedge and throw rocks to dislodge them, then hack them up with an axe. The area is a hotspot for Larvae and Orb Weaver Spiders, however, so be careful.

   

   Source: Windows Central

5. Analyze all the new materials at a research station, and you should unlock the pattern for the Insect Hammer.
6. Use a workbench to combine your materials into a shiny new Insect Hammer!

Grounded Get a level 2 Insect Axe

Insect Axes are the upgrade of the basic Pebblet Axe, giving you the ability to chop down much bigger weeds for more efficient construction material crafting. The Insect Axe is also a solid one-handed weapon, with decent stats all-round. Crafting one of these bad boys potentially requires less footwork, but you’ll have to tangle with some nasty bugs to get it.

Materials needed: 1x Ladybug Head, 3x Bombardier Parts, 4x Spider Silk.

1. First, you’re going to need a Ladybug Head, from, you guessed it, killing a Ladybug. These beautiful critters don’t seem to have a specific hangout and can roam all over the map. They are fairly common, but you may have to search around. They hit quite hard and stun to boot, so be sure to block carefully. You can cheese the fight by standing on their back and beating them down from above if you can manage to jump on one.

   

   Source: Windows Central

2. Next, you need three Bombardier Parts. As mentioned above, Bombardier Beetles roam around the big rock by the rake on the western side of map. They spray acid and hit really hard, so strafe around, use the best armor and weapons you have, and practice those blocks. It might be worth saving before taking them on.
3. Finally, you’re going to need some Spider Silk. If you’re not confident to fight Orb Weaver Spiders or Wolf Spiders yet, you can grab some from baby Spiderlings that hang out near the big rock, where the Bombardier Beetles hang out. On the eastern side of the rock, there is a crack in the ground which leads to a big spider den, often you can find about 3-4 Spiderlings around here. Orb Weavers aren’t too hard to kill with Acorn Armor and an Ant Club, as long as you’re able to time your blocks correctly.
4. Once you have all the bits, head to a workbench and craft your spiky Insect Axe.