What Weapons Can Effectively Kill a Ghost Leviathan?
The Ghost Leviathan has a total of 5000 HP.
To effectively kill a Ghost Leviathan, consider the following weapons:
- Thermoblade: It inflicts 40 damage with 100% efficiency. However, you’ll need to land more than 125 hits since not all will inflict full damage.
- Repulsion Cannon: This weapon delivers at least 300 damage per shot, making it a stronger option.
- Prawn Suit with Grapple Arm and Drill Arm: Using the Prawn Suit can help quickly eliminate smaller creatures. For Ghost Leviathans, utilize the grapple arm to latch onto the base of their head. Most placements will allow time for punches, but to repair afterward after a few bites, similar to encounters with Reaper Leviathans.
- Stasis Rifle: This weapon is also effective if it strikes their head; otherwise, it may just through. Ensure it’s fully charged. When combined with two Prawn punching arms, you can potentially kill a Leviathan in less than 3 minutes once you have it in place.
Do Ghost Leviathans Respawn After Being Killed?
When killed, the Ghost Leviathans that are within the Crater do not respawn.
However, the adults that reside within the Crater Edge will continue to respawn.
Specifically, three adult Ghost Leviathans spawn on the map (not counting the infinite number found in the Crater Edge):
- Two in the Grand Reef,
- One in the Northern Blood Kelp Zone.
If the player enters the Crater Edge:
- A single adult Ghost Leviathan spawns in.
- If the player stays in the Crater Edge for 40 seconds, a second Ghost Leviathan will spawn.
- If the player stays in the area for another 40 seconds, a third and final Ghost Leviathan spawns in.
For details, the following species will not respawn if killed by a player inside the Crater Edge:
- Juvenile Ghost Leviathan,
- Ghost Leviathan,
- Reaper Leviathan,
- Sea Dragon Leviathan.
This is consistent across both games, including Below Zero.
Moreover, any aggressive Leviathan class will not respawn after being killed by a player, with the lone exception that if you delete the cellscache folder, they will return with all the rest of the things in the game.
Notably, it is stated that the state of these Leviathans is saved in the cell they exist or died in.
Though some players report differing experiences, such as the same Leviathan respawning after saving, exiting, and resuming the game, this appears to be a game bug.
How to Tackle Ghost Leviathan Attacks in Subnautica?
Strategies to Tackle Ghost Leviathan Attacks in Subnautica:
- Utilizing the Prawn Suit: Drilling constantly into the creature while latched on with the grappling arm is a hugely effective technique. This method quickly eliminates reapers and even the bigger leviathan class beings. Both the standard Prawn Suit arm and Drill Arm module can be used to attack Leviathans, though the Drill Arm has a larger targeting area.
- Using the Heat Knife: It takes 100 swings of the heat knife to kill a juvenile ghost leviathan. To achieve this, you will need 3 full blasts from the gravity gun and a full ultra high capacity air tank. You can kill it in 20 seconds less than the full tank of air, giving you plenty of time to get back into your vehicle.
- Location and Respawning: When killed, the Ghost Leviathans within the Crater do not respawn. However, adults residing within the Crater Edge will continue to respawn. If the player stays in the Crater Edge for thirty seconds, a second Ghost Leviathan will spawn. If they remain in the area for another thirty seconds, a third and final Ghost Leviathan spawns. They will pursue the player until returning to the playable area, upon which they will all retreat.
- Cyclops Defense Strategy: Turn the Cyclops all the way off; it won’t attack the Leviathan in this state. Acquire a stasis rifle and collect 20-25 gaspods. Use the stasis on full charge on the Leviathan and drop all gaspods on it.
- If Under Attack: If they do attack, don’t panic! Use your defenses. If all else fails, play dead, repair, start engines, and decide on your exit strategy. The Cyclops is sturdy and can withstand considerable punishment.
- Understanding Leviathan Attack Sequence: Leviathans have a defined sequence of attack: detection, pathing towards you, lunge, attack, and retreat. If they are in the lunge stage and you activate shields, they can’t move to the attack stage, as they can’t hurt you. Instead, they will stay in the lunge mode, closely following, trying to damage you.
