The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition

The achievement unlocks when you deliver the coup de grace to kill an enemy while it is under the status effects of at least four different science weapons. The science weapons can be equipped on the player-character and/or one or both companions. There are 11 science weapons in the game although the Employee Benefits handgun does not work on hostiles—its purpose is to heal allies. The duration of their status effects is very brief. To ensure the target is inflicted with four different science weapon status effects, it helps to equip science weapons on both companions.

The 11 weapons are as follows:

1. Gloop Gun: Heavy Weapon—Recommended for the achievement
2. The Needler (Murder on Eridanos): Handgun—Recommended
3. Spectrum Gatling (Murder on Eridanos): Long Guns—Recommended
4. Special Delivery (Peril On Gorgon): Heavy Weapon—Recommended; equip on Vicar Max
5. Mind Control Ray: Long Guns—equip on companion
6. Shrink Ray: Handgun—equip on companion
7. Mandibular Rearranger: 1-Handed Melee
8. Prismatic Hammer: 2-Handed Melee
9. The P.E.T. (Peril On Gorgon): 2-Handed Melee
10. Udder Buddy (Murder on Eridanos): 1-Handed Melee
11. Employee Benefits (Peril On Gorgon): Handgun—Cannot be used for the achievement

If you have an unadjusted Medical skill of 60, the status effect of all weapons including science weapons is increased by 50%. Your adjusted science skill increases the duration of the effects of the Gloop Gun and the Mandibular Rearranger.

The Needler is acquired late in the game towards the end of the Murder on Eridanos quest line. Nevertheless, it is a very good weapon for the achievement. I recommend equipping the Gloop Gun and the Needler on the player-character. For the other two science weapons, I recommend taking Nyoka and Vicar Max with you. Equip Nyoka with the Spectrum Gatling and Max with the Special Delivery (his science skill increases its range).

Having obtained and equipped the four or more science weapons you intend to use for the achievement, target a large enemy. The enemy must be robust enough to be afflicted by the status effects of the 4 science weapons before succumbing. A good location is Fallbrook on the Planet Monarch using the mega-Mantiqueen on a small island just left, in the river, as you exit Fallbrook and cross the bridge. I like to use the mega-Mantiqueen because of its slower speed in comparison to other large enemies.

Assuming you are using the recommended setup, direct both companions to defensive so they will only attack on command. Set them to ranged and medium distance. Ensure you have a good long-range, non-science weapon in the active slot (the Deadeye II/III or a Hunting Rifle Hyper are my recommendations). Equip the Gloop Gun and the Needler in the 2nd and 3rd slots.

Head out the main Fallbrook gate. If you’re playing on supernova, this will create an auto-save. If you are playing on a different mode, create a manual save closer to the action. Take a left into the river as soon as you cross the bridge. A little ways in front of you is a mega-Mantiqueen accompanied by several Mantisaurs and/or Mantipillars. Ideally, kill the lesser enemies at a distance from stealth using your long-range sniping weapon.

After all lesser enemies are dead, switch to the Gloop Gun as the active weapon. Unequip any weapon other than the Gloop Gun and the Needler. If you are not playing on supernova, make a manual at this point. If you are playing on supernova, you may want to pop in and out of Fallbrook to create an auto-save—the achievement may take more than one try.

Ensure the mega-Mantiqueen is not alert. Sneak up behind it until you are in the Gloop Gun’s range. As soon as the enemy is launched (one of the Gloop Gun's effects), switch to the Needler, direct your companions to attack by pressing up on the d-pad , and go into TTD. Fire the Needler slowly taking your time between shots. You can check the enemy’s status bar to ensure the status effects are active. While in TTD, the info panel on the bottom left of the screen provides a clearer display of the status effects. Once the mega-Mantiqueen lands, switch to the Gloop Gun. Return to the Needler when it is launched again.

By alternating weapons in this manner with your companions contributing with their two science weapons, you have a very good chance of killing the mega-Mantiqueen while under the effects of four weapons and the achievement will pop. However, the effects wear off rapidly and it is possible that the enemy will expire at an inopportune time. It this happens, load your save and try again until you unlock the achievement.

If you want to get the achievement as early as possible, equip the Gloop Gun and the Mandibular Rearranger (or The Prismatic Hammer) on the player-character. I prefer the Manidibular Rearranger because it attacks more than twice as fast as the Prismatic Hammer and has a faster equip time. it also has the effect of slowing down or freezing the enemy which helps with the achievement. However, it is found later in the game on Scylla while the Prismatic Hammer (Groundbreaker) is the first science weapon available.

Equip the Shrink Ray and the Mind Control Ray on the companions of your choice. As before, direct both companions to defensive so they will only attack on command. Set them to ranged and medium distance. The Fallbrook mega-Mantiqueen is still a good target. Once you have dispatched the lesser enemies, created your auto- or manual save, and have equipped only the Gloop Gun and Mandibular Rearranger (or Prismatic Hammer) sneak up to the enemy with the Gloop Gun equipped.

Attack with the Gloop Gun and direct your companions to attack by pressing up on the d-pad . Switch to your melee weapon and approach the enemy launched by the Gloop Gun. Just before it lands, go into TTD and attack with the melee weapon. As soon as you see the enemy afflicted by the status effects, exit TTD, switch to the Gloop Gun, and launch the enemy again. Once more, switch to the melee weapon, approach the enemy, and wait until just before it lands before invoking TTD & attacking with the melee weapon. Repeat this cycle until the enemy dies. If the achievement does not pop, reload your save and try again until it does.

The reason you equipped the Shrink Ray and the Mind Control Ray on your companions is that they must constantly target the enemy to be effective. The companions’ AI is very good in this regard. The player-character, switching between weapons, finds it difficult to ensure both mind control and shrinkage remain in effect. Moreover, ranged weapons are better than melee weapons to barrage an agile enemy and ensure the status effects are constantly refreshed. Our preferred setup uses only ranged weapons because they have no difficulty targeting a launched enemy.

Whatever your tactics, this is one of the more challenging achievements. You may want to tinker with the weapons to make them more powerful. However, you do not want them too powerful so they kill the enemy before all four have inflicted their respective status effects.