Opulent Flint Beetle

The Opulent Flint Beetle is a species of large flint beetle with a castle-shaped shell.

=In fanon games=

In Pikmin Evolution
The Opulent Flint Beetle is a species of large flint beetle appearing in Pikmin Evolution. It gets its name from the large regal appearance it has, having a shining blue shell that spirals into a castle-like form with various holes in it. It is the largest species of the flint beetle family, being what appears to be almost a queen for the species. It dwells in very deep and dark caves, initially appearing to be nothing more than a small structure with a piece of refuse atop it. However, trying to collect the refuse will cause the insect to rise and attack the nearby Pikmin and leaders. The sheer size and durability of the shell and exoskeleton make attacking it directly futile, and since the shell is rounded, the beast is immune to being flipped over, unlike most flint beetles.

The small holes dotting the Opulent Flint Beetle's shell aren't just for show; they are also how the creature primarily attacks. When sand spills out of one of its holes, a boulder that moves in a straight line, can crush Pikmin, and shatters upon hitting a wall soon follows. It can also spew streams of acid to instantly melt anything in its range aside from Germ Pikmin, as indicated by the bubbles foaming out of the hole as the acid soon does. Pink puffs of gas blowing from one of its holes indicates clouds of spores that convert exposed Pikmin into Mushroom Pikmin, which briefly assist the Opulent Flint Beetle before returning to normal. It can also eject icy snow from one of its holes, indicated by powder snow coming out of the same hole prior, to simultaneously bury and freeze Pikmin. Buried frozen Pikmin will shatter if the leaders attempt to pluck them, necessitating waiting for the snow to melt. Black smoke billowing out of one of its holes indicates an imminent barrage of flaming spines. The Flint Beetle's varied arsenal and unpredictability make it quite formidable initially, but may be its undoing; last, but far from least of the things that emerge from its shell's holes, is a fleshy bulb that serves as the boss's initial weakpoint.

Whenever its fleshy bulb is attacked, the Opulent Flint Beetle's defenses will be reduced. On the first hit, the insect will trip, slightly cracking open the otherwise impenetrable spherical metal casings protecting its leg joints. After that, a layer of its shell will break off, reducing the shell's height. Then, on the third hit, the Opulent Flint Beetle's attacks become more erratic and therefore more difficult to predict. Hitting the bulb a fourth time will cause all of its joint casings to rupture, revealing a fleshy weakpoint on each of its four legs, and finally rendering the boss vulnerable. In addition to all that, the creature will no longer be able to use its shell to combat its assailants, as its shell will be flattened like a typical flint beetle's. However, the battle is far from over. As a last resort, the Opulent Flint Beetle will attempt to eat Pikmin with its mandibles, able to eat up to fifty Pikmin at a time if given the chance, but executes the attack rather slowly, providing ample time to dodge. When all of its leg joints are sufficiently damaged, the Opulent Flint Beetle collapses, allowing the Pikmin to dig the refuse out of this shell. If not accomplished in a timely manner, the boss rises to its feet again and must have its leg joints damaged enough for it to collapse again. Freeing the refuse causes the boss to wildly flail about in its death throes before expiring. A must faster but potentially even more dangerous way to kill the Opulent Flint Beetle is through the use of syrups, namely the icy cyan syrup, as it will freeze the joint casings stiff and make them brittle enough to be destroyed by Pikmin outright. No matter the method used, the battle against this creature can prove to be one of the trickiest due to the number of steps needed to defeat it.