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The Mutator is an Apex zombie in Dead Island 2. Mutators are the strongest Apex Variants, sporting a high amount of health, inflicting heavy damage and having no weaknesses unlike other Apex Variants. They are first encountered at Ocean Avenue during the main quest The Search for Truth, and are then encountered in certain hot spots across Los Angeles as well as randomly outside of hot spots.
Overview[]
Mutators are notable for first appearing as normal Walkers. They can be identified as bald and shirtless walkers with military-style pants. When alerted to the player's presence or through a nearby loud noise, Mutators will mutate into large abominations. They will grow several feet taller, their chest cavity will open up and their left arm will sprout a large sharpened bone club. During this process, Mutators will be invulnerable to damage, giving players a few seconds to gain some distance. Once the transformation is complete, Mutators will rush the player and attempt to strike them with their club arm. If the player is far enough away from them, they will shoot bone shards from their chest cavity that will cause the Bleed status effect.
Mutators are resistant to projectile and explosive damage. As such, it is advised to prioritize and dispatch them quickly with high damage weapons such as Headhunter weapons or Fury Mode. Mutators can be killed quickly if they are identified before their transformation and hit with high damage projectiles from Hunting Rifles. This will also award the achievement/trophy Not Even My Final Form. Mutators drop several rare and superior Fabrication Parts which are used for fabricating Superior weapon mods. They can be easily farmed at the Mutator Hot Spot in Beverly Hills. One or two Mutators can be found in and around the home. They will then have a high chance of respawning if players return to the main menu and reload the game.
Attack patterns[]
Mutators have 5 moves to choose from. Their most common attack is a combination of 2 slaps with the hand followed by a jump where they slam their bone club on the ground, creating a shockwave. (The bone club itself will damage the player for the same damage as a slap if they are too close during the jump) During this combination attack, the Mutator slowly inches forward. A level 30 Mutator deals ~751.6 damage with a slap. The entire combo can be blocked by holding Block.
Their next most common attack is thrusting their bone club forward. This attack will deal 20% more damage than a regular slap and can deal 20% of its damage through block.
The Mutator will occasionally attempt to “eat” the player with their chest cavity. This will prompt a grab quick time event. Failing the quick time event will result in certain death, regardless of the player’s HP. During the quick time event, the rib cage bones will periodically deal bleed damage. A level 30 Mutator will periodically deal ~375.8 bleed damage.
Rarely, Mutators will spin around. This will cause normal damage and knock the player back a significant distance.
When the player breaks line of sight or moves too far away, then the Mutator will start to shoot barbed bones from its chest cavity. These deal a massive amount of bleed damage but can be intercepted by obstacles and other enemies. The barbed bones also spread out during travel, meaning only a portion of the barbed bones hit the player if they are far away. A point blank hit from a level 30 Mutator deals ~3006 bleed damage and is guaranteed to apply the bleed status effect afterwards. The point blank hit combined with the bleed status effect is enough to kill the player in one hit.
Only the damage of the slaps, bone club thrust, bone club smash and spin attack will be increased for notable Mutators.
Strategy[]
- If possible, kill them in their Walker form. They have a lot less health and defence before they mutate, so a quick surprise attack can take them down before they mutate.
- Mutators are resistant to both explosives and projectiles, so firearms, making most ranged options against them very weak. This means powerful explosive curveballs like the Military Grenade are not great against Mutators.
- Despite the above, getting a headshot with a Crossbow can take off a good chunk of their health while they are a Walker. The same is true using a Hunting Rifle. Following it up with something to stun them or deal extra damage can lead to them being killed before mutation.
- Using the Chem Bomb can both stun and waterlog them. The stun will prevent them mutating while waterlogging will make them more susceptible to shock. Hit them with an Electric Bomb or go in with a Melee Electrocutor Mod weapon to shock it and cause more stun.
- The Flashbang can stun them to allow you to get some free hits.
- The Ripper is very effective against the Mutator. Thanks to the weapon's ability to deal massive damage after it spins up from consecutive hits and the Mutator not having a resistance to bleed damage, it will remove huge amounts of its health each time, rapidly taking it down.
- They will regain all their health upon mutation, and will be invulnerable while doing so. Take the time to get prepared, take out your best weapon, and ready curveballs.
- Mutators are slow, so you can outpace them, though they also have a ranged attack so you can't shoot them outside of melee range safely. You can exploit their slowness to make a getaway, however, if you do not want to fight it.
- If you are too close, they can grab you with their ribcage, causing bleed and a quick time event to break free. This can easily kill you outright, so avoid being close by on low health.
- The skill card Greased Pig is very beneficial with breaking free instantly, saving you a lot of damage and quick time.
- The Hornet's Nest works well against a Mutator, as they will deal constant damage and weaken it.
- Its bone club arm is immune to any damage, much like how the bone forearms of the Butcher is immune. Avoid wasting time trying to attack the arm.
- The Mutator has a similar attack pattern to the Crusher, able to end a combo attack with a powerful ground pound. However, its arm will become stuck in the floor after its slam. You can leap over the shockwave and attack it while it is vulnerable.
- As they are slow, they are quite vulnerable to ground hazards such as pools of oil or Caustic-X. As such, the pools of dangerous substances left on the ground by curveballs like the Molotov Cocktail or Caustic-X Bomb can be very effective against a Mutator.
- A Mutator is always enraged in its mutated form, however enraged is considered a harmful status effect, meaning that the damage boost from the No Mercy skill card is always active against Mutators after they mutate. If combined with the Ripper, you can quickly and easily take down a Mutator.
- You can use Dodge to avoid its projectile spines and combo attack, though Block also works against the combo attack to avoid its damage entirely.
Notable Mutators[]
- Noah - Named Mutator and former Numen found in Dr. Reed's secret lab in Ocean Avenue during the main quest The Search For Truth.
- Reubenator - Reuben Reed transforms into a Mutator dubbed "The Reubenator" during the main quest Hollywood Ending in Hollywood Boulevard.
- Nicolas De Leon - A former celebrity encountered during the side quest Going Viral in Hollywood Boulevard.
- Lt. Bryant - Found in the military outpost on Venice Beach during the side quest Diaries of the Dead.
- Cooper - Found below The Pier during the side quest Red Tide.
- Metro Engineer - Found in the Metro in The End of the Line.
- Mutated Guest - Found on the third floor of the Halperin Hotel.
- The Site Foreman - Found at the construction site in Beverly Hills next to the Mansion Under Construction.
- Mosher - Named Mutator found at the SoLA Main Stage during the quest Saving Grace.
Drops[]
Notes[]
- The combo attack can be dodged by standing against the Mutator. Only the final shockwave will be able to hit the player.
- The limbs of a Mutator cannot be removed, even in its Walker form.
Challenges[]
Zompedia[]
| Name | Criteria | Description |
|---|---|---|
| First Blood | Kill 1 Mutator | Mutators blend into the horde, looking like Walkers or Shamblers. Loud noises will trigger their transformation early. |
| Under The Skin | Kill 5 Mutators | The Mutator's warped physiology is resistant to PROJECTILE and EXPLOSIVE damage. |
| Sliced To The Bone | Kill 15 Mutators | A Mutator can eject a salvo of barbed bone darts from its ruptured chest cavity. These PROJECTILES cause BLEED damage. |
| Deep In The Guts | Kill 30 Mutators | The Mutator's ruptured chest cavity bristles with rib-like "teeth". Losing a GRAPPLE contest with one means certain DEATH! |
Combat[]
| Name | Criteria | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| No Time To Grow 1 | Slay 1 Mutator before it mutates. | $100 |
| No Time To Grow 2 | Slay 5 Mutators before they mutate. | $250 |
| No Time To Grow 3 | Slay 10 Mutators before they mutate. |
Zombie[]
| Name | Criteria | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Change Is Constant 1 | Slay 10 Mutators while playing the game as any Slayer. | PEAK HEALTH+ |
| Change Is Constant 2 | Slay 25 Mutators while playing the game as any Slayer. | PEAK HEALTH++ |
| Change Is Constant 3 | Slay 50 Mutators while playing the game as any Slayer. | PEAK HEALTH+++ |
Trivia[]
- The sounds when a Mutator transforms originate from Christmas wrapping paper.[1]
- It is theorized that the Mutator is an experiment gone wrong due to them gaining the strength of a Wrestler and the speed and bone “weapon” of a Butcher.
Gallery[]
