Boss Battle Guide: How to Beat the Sandbelching Meerslug

This is a guide to defeating the Sandbelching Meerslug, a boss in Pikmin 3 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch. Read on to learn tips and strategy for beating the Sandbelching Meerslug boss found in the Tropical Wilds without losing any of your Pikmin! A no Pikmin deaths video walkthrough is also included.

All Boss Battle Guides
Armored Mawdad	Vehemoth Phosbat	Sandbelching Meerslug
Scornet Maestro	Quaggled Mireclops	Plasm Wraith

Boss Guide: How to Beat All Bosses

Sandbelching Meerslug Video Walkthrough

This video shows one method of defeating the Sandbelching Meerslug with 0 Pikmin deaths!

How to Beat the Sandbelching Meerslug

Battle Overview

Keep your distance when it creates a sinkhole Charge your pikmin at its head when it emerges Attack again when its body emerges Watch out for the large sinkhole

These steps are the premise of battling the Sandbelching Meerslug, the boss of the Tropical Wilds. Defeating it will earn you the Folden Data Glutton (which is required to progress through the story), as well as a Crimson Banquet.

Keep your distance when it creates a sinkhole

The Sandbelching Meerslug mostly attacks by forming a sinkhole and trying to suck in your leaders and pikmin. Keep your distance and avoid getting sucked in. If your pikmin do get sucked in, whistling for them will allow them to make their way out and avoid being eaten.

If you have pikmin with bomb rocks on your teams, you can throw one in and then whistle for it to come back. This will cause the Sandbelching Meerslug to eat the bomb rock, which gives you an opportunity to attack as it emerges. Therefore, picking up the bomb rocks earlier in the map is very useful! If you choose to do this, it would be wise to have one leader that only holds onto the bomb rock pikmin.

Charge your pikmin at its head when it emerges

When the Sandbelching Meerslug makes a large mound and sticks its head out, it is a great opportunity to make your pikmin charge forward at it. It will attempt to shoot sand boulders at your party, so have your pikmin charge forward and avoid getting hit.

Attack again when its body emerges

Attacking the Sandbelching Meerslug's head enough causes its entire body to emerge from the mound. This will also cause any nearby pikmin to fly off, so be ready to whistle for all of them again, then once again have them charge at the Sandbelching Meerslug as it lies down.

Watch out for the large sinkhole

Once the Sandbelching Meerslug's HP goes below 50%, it will attack with a very large sinkhole, which takes up most of the area. Stay as far away from this sand pit as you can, and once again, whistle for any pikmn who get sucked in. You can use pikmin holding bomb rocks here as well.

Sandbelching Meerslug Defeat Bosses! Mission

Mission Information

Charge at it when it pokes its head out

The strategy for fighting the Sandbelching Meerslug in the mission here is not too different from the story mode battle. When it pokes its head from the ground, charge your Pikmin at it to make it come out, and watch out for the sinkholes it makes. When the Sandbelching Meerslug does come out of the sand, attack its underbelly.

Use the two Bomb Rocks

To take care of this boss quickly, you should try using the Bomb Rocks found in the area, which can be found in the raised area just to the start of the entrance, and also dug up from the dirt mounds. Throw a pikmin holding a bomb near the center of the sinkhold to deal heavy damagr and blow the Sandbelching Meerslug out of the sand.

Defeat Bosses! Missions List and Platinum Medal Guide

Sandbelching Meerslug Basic Information

General Information
Sandbelching Meerslug
Locations	・Tropical Wilds
Weight (Pikmin Amt.)	Min: 20 Max: 30	Seeds (Pikmin Created)	50
Feeding Bomb Rocks	Effective	White Pikmin	Ineffective
Basic Strategy	This huge creature is a boss in the Tropical Wilds. It can create a large sand pit that will pull anything it catches to the Meerslug's mouth. Dodge this attack or gather any Pikmin caught in it with your whistle. If you have a Bomb Rock, throw it into the pit to render the creature vulnerable where you can charge it with everything you have. You can also attack it whenever it exposes its head and when you manage to deal a significant amount of damage, it will sprout to the surface in a vulnerable state.

Related Guides

Piklopedia: List of All Enemies

All Boss Battle Guides
Armored Mawdad	Vehemoth Phosbat	Sandbelching Meerslug
Scornet Maestro	Quaggled Mireclops	Plasm Wraith

Boss Guide: How to Beat All Bosses