How to get the Nutcracker Deviation in Once Human

The Nutcracker is one of the rarer Deviations in Once Human, mostly because it can only be obtained by fighting one particularly difficult boss. But the Nutcracker is also very useful, so let’s figure out where and how to get it.

What does the Nutcracker Deviation do in Once Human?

The Nutcracker is a soldier that patrols your territory in Once Human and defends it from intruders, animals and Deviants alike. This is especially useful when you’re away saving Nalcott from the encroachment of Stardust pollution or during Territory Purification. The Nutcracker’s attack power is proportional to the amount of energy it has. Set it up with a Green Light, Toy, and 5W of electricity to help it recover more quickly.

H37 Unstable S-Vessel event in Once Human

Many players obtained the Nutcracker Deviation by participating in the H37 Unstable S-Vessel limited-time event in Once Human. It rewarded shiny variants of the Nutcracker, but was only available on some servers (perhaps tied to difficulty level) and ended on October 1, 2024. Currently, the only other way to acquire the Deviation is to fight for it.

The Nutcracker Deviation’s location

The normal way to get the Nutcracker Deviation is by taking down the fifth and final Monolith boss in Once Human, the Forsaken Giant in Red Sands. This means you’ll need to level yourself up, progress to the zone, and activate the Rift Anchors to unlock entry to the Forsaken Monolith.

The Monolith itself isn’t like previous ones you’ll have completed because the front entrance is sealed. You must enter from the bottom and fight your way in through the back. The room below the Monolith, where you usually speak to Mitsuko after defeating the boss, is actually where you begin this one.

Fighting the Forsaken Giant Deviant for the Nutcracker

As the final Monolith boss, the Forsaken Giant is no pushover. If you’ve soloed your way through the game and taken down bosses with ease, you’ll suddenly find yourself hitting a wall. Even at normal difficulty and with the boss only level 40, it poses a challenge. Your best bet is to find a team to defeat the Forsaken Giant, but it can be beaten alone with several attempts.

Different parts of the Forsaken Giant glow red to show its weak spots: hands, head, abdomen, and shoulders. One location is vulnerable at a time and only for a very short while. Be ready to let loose during the brief window when the boss can be damaged. Otherwise, use the opportunity to take out adds, med up, reload, and prepare for incoming attacks.

The Forsaken Giant’s attacks

The Forsaken Giant begins the fight by slamming its arm to the ground, creating a shockwave that can be jumped over. This is a regular attack, so keep an eye out for an expanding white ring throughout the fight. It can knock off a third to half of your health.

Frequently, the boss sweeps an arm from one side of the stage to the other. This seems unavoidable, and attempting to evade it may cause you to get swept into the abyss below. However, there are two safe spots, one on each side of the stage, distinguished by a patch of flowers. When the boss begins sweeping its arm, run to the flowers farthest from the starting point.

Another attack type is identified by a glowing red pillar that shines down on you. The Forsaken Giant is preparing to slam its arm more powerfully onto the ground. The stage has three sections — right, center, and left — and each can be struck twice before it collapses. When an attack is incoming, position yourself successively on a different area of the stage to avoid permanently losing any ground.

In between these potentially deadly attacks, the Forsaken Giant also periodically vomits red orbs, aimed at you, that splash onto the ground and leave puddles that deal damage over time. So, you’ll need to be aware of where you’re standing at all times.

Throughout all of this, iridescent portals also periodically appear. This is the boss summoning adds, which you want to take down as quickly as possible, mostly because they’ll distract you. It’s a good idea to save your Deviation summon for these moments, especially if you have one that does AOE damage or draws aggro.

When its health is around the 35% mark, the boss will move its head back and forth as if searching for something. Run to the edge of the stage in front of the Forsaken Giant to avoid the incoming strike.

The last attack type involves pillars of glowing red fire that come down one or two at a time to fill most of the stage. These are preceded briefly by a warning ring on the ground, so just keep moving to avoid them.

That’s all that this simple fight entails. Kill Once Human’s Forsaken Giant and there’s a chance it will drop the Nutcracker Deviation. That’s right, a chance. You may have to farm. Good luck.