Dreadmeld
 | This article relates to content added by Anomaly (DLC). Please note that it will not be present without the DLC enabled. |
 | Spoiler warning: This page may contain details about the gameplay that might be considered spoilers. If you wish to enjoy the content first hand, you probably shouldn't continue reading beyond this point. |
Dreadmeld
A gargantuan amalgamation of dozens of smaller fleshbeasts linked together by a loosely shared central nervous system. It uses its massive claws to dig tunnels through solid rock. Fleshbeast dreadmelds are rarely seen above ground, instead sheltering in caverns built from living flesh. They share a psychic connection with the flesh used to create their burrow.
Base Stats
Pawn Stats
- Combat Power
- 650
- Move Speed
- 1.5 c/s
- Health Scale
- 1000% HP
- Body Size
- 5
- Mass
- 300 kg
- Filth Rate
- 1
- Diet
- none
- Life Expectancy
- 50 years
- Trainable Intelligence
- None
- Psychic Sensitivity
- 50%
- Toxic Resistance
- 80%
- Comfortable Temp Range
- -40 °C – 60 °C (-40 °F – 140 °F)
Production
- Meat Yield
70 Twisted meat
Melee Combat
- Attack 1
- Left spike (Spike)
14 dmg (Stab)
21 % AP
2 second cooldown - Attack 2
- Right spike (Spike)
14 dmg (Stab)
21 % AP
2 second cooldown - Attack 3
- Head
3 dmg (Blunt)
4 % AP
2 second cooldown
0.2 chance factor - Average DPS
- 4.34
Containment
- Gets Cold Bonus
- true
- Escape Interval
- MTB 60 days
- defName
- Dreadmeld
The dreadmeld is an entity added by the Anomaly DLC. It is the largest of the fleshbeasts and can be considered the "boss battle" of the pit gate.
Occurrence[edit]
Dreadmelds appear inside of pit gate undercaves. Every undercave has a single dreadmeld residing somewhere inside. It will always be completely enclosed by fleshmass walls, preventing it from being accessed until it is freed. When approaching the chamber containing a dreadmeld for the first time, a unique warning appears, similar to when first approaching an ancient danger:
Squirming sounds: As <PAWN NAME> draws near the fleshmass here, they sense a heavy writhing and throbbing from under its warm surface. Some huge living entity is hidden behind the wall of flesh.
Summary[edit]
Dreadmelds are highly durable entities with an extremely slow movement speed. While their powerful melee attack is roughly equivalent to a warg's, their primary threat comes in the form of their unique ability to spawn smaller fleshbeasts as it takes damage. For every 200 total damage the dreadmeld takes from any source, 100-300 combat power worth of fleshbeasts will spawn around it, distributed randomly within a 5-tile radius. This will result in semi-random distributions of 
fingerspikes, 
toughspikes, and 
trispikes. Dreadmelds additionally also spawn 1-3 fingerspikes the first time they take damage.
Dreadmelds have a body size of 5, making them the largest creature in the game by a significant margin.
Like ghouls, dreadmelds possess rapid regeneration. They heal at the same rate, but can regenerate a total of 350 HP/day instead of the ghoul's smaller 100 HP/day.
When a dreadmeld dies, it splits into a fingerspike, a toughspike, and a 
bulbfreak, leaving behind three shards in the process. The pit gate it resides within will then begin to destabilize. After 12 hours, it will close permanently; any items or pawns remaining in the undercave are then irretrievably destroyed. The undercave will remain stable indefinitely as long as the dreadmeld remains alive.
Dreadmelds are immune to all psychic lances (shock, insanity, biomutation).
Dreadmelds cannot be captured for containment. They will always die on being downed.
Analysis[edit]
The dreadmeld is slow and lumbering, only chasing the closest attacker. Barraging it with gunfire while having another pawn kite it is the safest way to deal with it. Handling its additional spawns is a top priority; damaging the dreadmeld too quickly, without focusing on the additional fleshbeasts, can rapidly create a critical mass that will overrun even experienced Melee fighters through sheer numbers alone. Consider clearing any lingering fleshmass from the route you plan to take it through, as the additional cover can block shots that would otherwise damage the fleshbeasts.
Melee blocking a dreadmeld is possible, but requires setup and preparation. Because of the random scattering of new fleshbeasts, it is plausible that they will land behind your ranged fighters and immediately engage them at close range, meaning that close-range weapons such as chain shotguns or heavy SMGs can make a significant difference for crowd control. Stunning tools, like disruptor flare packs or vertigo pulse, 
can be very effective in reducing the overall damage taken. Constructing fortifications in advance rather than simply fighting in the undercave's natural layout is also a significant boon.
Whatever strategy is used to face a dreadmeld, ensuring a quick and controlled kill on the first engagement is vital. Because of its impossible regeneration, a dreadmeld left for long enough will quickly heal any damage done to it; a routed attack may inflict no lasting attrition and simply result in wasted time and injured pawns.
Pit gates contain numerous flesh sacks that can yield bionic or archotech artificial body parts, and they also often possess numerous ores such as compacted steel that can be useful to the colony. Ensure that you don't engage the dreadmeld until you are ready to close the pit gate. When you are ready, double-check to ensure there isn't anything you might be forgetting, and make sure that your pawns have a clear and safe path to the exit that they can promptly follow once the dreadmeld is dispatched (and its shards collected).
Optionally, if you want to use the pit cave for some other purpose, don't unleash the dreadmeld in the first place. When you identify the chamber it's contained within, make a note of where it is and leave it in peace until you're ready to leave.
If using a pit gate to dispose of toxic wastepacks 
, note that pollution to the undercave will spread even through solid rock and will eventually reach the dreadmeld's location. Like all fleshbeasts, the dreadmeld is not immune to toxic buildup, and so if exposed to polluted terrain for an extended duration it will eventually die and cause the cave to collapse. Pit gates can thus not be used indefinitely as dumping sites, although they may work for a long time. Keep an eye on the spread of pollution relative to the dreadmeld's chamber.
Health[edit]
 | This section has been suggested for recoding. Reason: Body type missing. You can help RimWorld Wiki by improving it. |
The body part table is collapsed due to length. Expand to view.
| Body part | Health |
|---|---|
| Head | 250 |
| Skull | 250 |
| Brain | 100 |
| Nose | 100 |
| Neck | 250 |
| Jaw | 200 |
| Eye [1] (left, right) |
100 |
| Ear (left, right) |
100 |
| Body | 400 |
| Kidney[2] (left, right) |
150 |
| Lung[2] (left, right) |
150 |
| Liver[2] | 200 |
| Heart[2] | 150 |
| Spine[2] | 250 |
| Stomach[2] | 200 |
| Limbs (left, right, fore, hind) |
300 |
| Appendage (left, right, fore, hind) |
200 |
Version history[edit]
- Anomaly DLC Release - Added.