The Nefarious Slugger is the specialized ground, melee unit of the Nefarious Troopers in Rift Apart with mega-mass maces attached to each arm, perfect for smashing spirits and skulls. Being the melee fighting unit of the Nefarious Army, these bots will attempt to get as close to Ratchet or Rivet as possible, and either perform a punch or a slam attack with their wrecking ball-like fists. The Sluggers possess flight capabilities like all the other troopers, but can only use their attacks when walking on solid ground with their three legs. They will become upgraded with more armor and stronger damaging attacks as you progress through Rift Apart.
History[]
The Nefarious Sluggers are one of the first kinds of troopers encountered in Rift Apart, along with the Nefarious Trooper heads, and Lasertroopers. They are first seen in Nefarious Tower, saluting Dr. Nefarious after mistakingly believing he is Emperor Nefarious. Ratchet first fights patrolling Sluggers soon after in Nefarious City whilst trying to acquire a royal starship to leave the planet and follow Rivet and Clank to Sargasso. After infiltrating Nefarious Tower and attacking Dr. Nefarious, Ratchet is pursued by several Sluggers and other troopers before he is finally able to escape in a royal ship.
They later appear on planet Savali as part of the strike force sent by Dr. Nefarious to intercept Ratchet's arrival, where they and several other troopers have taken the local monks hostage. The Sluggers also act as security at the Kedaro Station on planet Cordelion.
At Zurkie's Battleplex, the Sluggers and several other troopers are fought in the Silver Cup challenge "Ka-Boomstick Blast", exclusively with a Warmonger by Rivet. They and other troopers are fought again in the Gold Cup challenges "LOL, That's Random" and "Twice as Nice".
They appear as part of the Emperor's invasion forces on Sargasso, combatants inside the Emperor's flagship at Savali, and as security at Zordoom Prison during Rivet's jail break. During Rivet's battle against the Emperor in Megalopolis, he calls in more troopers to assist him in the fight, with several Sluggers appearing from rifts to fight her.
Combat[]
They are more heavily armored than the Lasertrooper and will take more damage before going down, they also have armored helmets, making hitting their weak spot harder and providing it with more protection. When fighting them, it is wise for Ratchet and Rivet to always maintain distance between them. Using weapons with a knockback effect against them such as the full double barreled Enforcer shots, or the Pixelizer, is a good way to keep them from getting too close. Distracting them with Mr. Fungi or the Glove of Doom is also a viable strategy, as they can draw enemy attention away from you. Weapons like the Burst Pistol are not recommended, especially in groups, as it does not deal damage fast enough, inflicts no stagger and the Sluggers' walking speed is faster than Ratchet or Rivet can move while firing their weapon, meaning they will catch back up to you quick and land an attack, requiring you to Phantom Dash away and build distance from them again. On higher difficulties their attacks are much faster with less wind up.