The Problem

Pests seem easy but then an army of them shows up and I get overwhelmed.

The Solution

Pests are the most common enemy in Abiotic Factor and individually the weakest. One Pest is a non-threat. The danger is Pest Army events — scripted swarms that flood your position with dozens of Pests simultaneously. A single Pest is target practice. A Pest Army in an open room with no traps is a wipe.

Individual Pests: Speed Kills At Blunt weapon (see weapon guide) skill level 7, a running attack with a Crowbar or Pickaxe kills most Pests in one hit. The running start adds momentum damage that pushes the hit over the one-shot threshold. For lower Blunt levels, two hits will do it — but the second hit needs to land before the Pest's attack animation starts. Pests telegraph their attacks with a brief pause; hit them during that pause to interrupt.

Pest Army Defense: The Doorway Funnel Pest Army events announce themselves. When they trigger, do not fight in the open. Immediately move to a doorway and let the doorway become a one-Pest-wide funnel. Pests can only enter single-file through a standard doorframe. Place your traps on the approach side of the door:

• Shock Trap (see defense guide)s: No power (see power system) required. Stuns Pests that step on them. 30-second self-recharge. Place one directly in the doorway.
• Chopinators: Place one just inside the door, on the corner where Pests must turn after entering. The Chopinator hits Pests as they commit to the turn — maximum damage per activation.
• Laser Tripmines: Place across the approach corridor before the doorway. Each Pest that crosses the beam takes damage before reaching the door.

With one Shock Trap in the doorway and one Chopinator behind the corner, a Pest Army event becomes a hands-free material farm. You stand behind the traps with a weapon for cleanup, but the traps do 80% of the work.

Why Farm Pests Pest drops include materials for Carapace armor — one of the best mid-game sets. Carapace armor provides:

• Airtight Seal: Prevents gas and spore effects. Equivalent to wearing a Lab Mask as part of your armor set.
• Return Damage (Thorns): Attackers take damage when they hit you. Against swarm enemies like Pests, this adds up fast.

Pest Army events are the highest-density source of Pest materials. A single well-trapped event can yield enough materials for a full Carapace set. Scarab armor (an upgraded Pest-derived set) provides similar benefits with better base armor values.

Electro-Pest Variants In later sectors, you will encounter Electro-Pests — Pests with an electrical damage aura. Shock Traps are less effective against them (electrical resistance). Use Chopinators and Laser Tripmines instead, and engage with ranged weapons rather than Blunt melee to avoid the contact damage aura.

Trap Maintenance Traps take durability damage during Pest Army events. After each event, check trap durability: Chopinators degrade faster than Shock Traps. Repair or replace degraded traps before the next event. Running a Pest Army with a broken Chopinator means you are fighting the swarm manually — exactly what you set up traps to avoid.

Step-by-Step

1. Identify a defensible doorway in your base. This is your Pest Army choke point.
2. Place a Shock Trap in the doorway (no power needed, 30-second self-recharge).
3. Place a Chopinator just inside the door, positioned to hit Pests as they turn the corner.
4. Optionally, place Laser Tripmines across the approach corridor for pre-doorway damage.
5. When a Pest Army event triggers, move to the doorway and stand behind the traps.
6. Let traps handle the swarm. Clean up survivors with a running Blunt attack (Crowbar/Pickaxe, Blunt 7+).
7. Collect Pest materials after the event. Craft Carapace armor for Airtight Seal + Return Damage.
8. Check and repair trap durability after each event.

Common Mistakes

• Fighting Pest Armies in open rooms — Pests surround you from all sides. Doorway funnel or death.
• Letting trap durability degrade to zero between events — a broken Chopinator during a Pest Army means you are fighting manually.
• Ignoring Pest drops as "low-value" — Carapace armor's Airtight Seal and Thorns are among the best mid-game bonuses.
• Using Shock Traps against Electro-Pests — they resist electrical damage. Switch to Chopinators and ranged weapons.