Lurking Giants Locust Guide — Free Starter Giant Abilities and Strategy

Locust is the free starter Giant in Lurking Giants, available to every player without any coin purchase. While Locust ranks below Guilt in the overall tier list, it remains a formidable Giant when played correctly — particularly on the Forest map where open terrain and direct sightlines favor its straightforward chase style. This guide provides a complete breakdown of Locust's abilities, optimal strategies for both Forest and City maps, chase patterns that maximize your kill count, and tips for transitioning from Locust to Guilt once you have earned 7,000 coins.

Many new Giant players underestimate Locust because it is free and considered B-tier compared to Guilt's S-tier rating. However, Locust's simplicity is also its strength: there are no complex ability interactions to master, which means you can focus entirely on learning survivor psychology and patrol patterns. A skilled Locust player who understands map layouts and relocation behavior can eliminate more survivors per round than an unskilled Guilt player.

Locust Overview — Stats and Positioning

Locust is the entry-level Giant that every player has access to from their very first round. Its design emphasizes direct pursuit and open-terrain dominance. While it lacks the advanced area-denial capabilities of Guilt's wall-penetrating Haunt, Locust compensates with speed in straight-line chases and simplicity of execution.

Locust's identity: Locust is the "run-you-down" Giant. It excels in situations where survivors have limited cover options and must traverse open ground. The Forest map's geyser fields and wide trails are Locust's hunting grounds.

Locust Abilities — Attack and Haunt

Like all Giants in Lurking Giants, Locust has two abilities: Attack (Q key) and Haunt (G key). Understanding the nuances of each ability on Locust specifically is essential for maximizing your effectiveness.

Q Attack — Close-Range Elimination

The Attack ability eliminates a survivor within close range (approximately 3–5 meters). It has a cooldown of approximately 3 seconds between uses. For Locust, the Attack is straightforward — get close, press Q, and the survivor is eliminated.

When to use Q on Locust:

• When a survivor is cornered against a wall, tree, or rock formation
• When a survivor has exhausted their stamina and cannot sprint away
• When you catch a survivor mid-relocation crossing open ground (geyser fields)
• When multiple survivors cluster in a confined space like a cave

Common Q mistakes with Locust:

• Attacking too early when the survivor still has stamina — they will sprint away during your cooldown
• Missing an attack on a moving target — the 3-second cooldown gives the survivor time to reach cover
• Attacking through bushes when you cannot confirm the survivor's exact position

G Haunt — Area Disorientation

Locust's Haunt creates a disorienting effect in a moderate radius (~15 meters) around the activation point. Survivors caught in the Haunt zone experience visual distortion and movement difficulty. Locust's Haunt does NOT work through walls — it only affects survivors within line of sight of the Haunt origin.

When to use G on Locust:

• At the entrance to caves where survivors are hiding — the disorientation forces them out
• After a visibility pulse when survivors are relocating across open terrain — disrupt their escape route
• Near bush clusters where survivors may be hiding but you cannot see them
• In geyser fields to disorient survivors crossing open ground

Haunt timing optimization: The Haunt lasts for a limited duration and has a cooldown of approximately 8 seconds. Use it at the beginning of your chase, not in the middle. Activating Haunt at the start of a pursuit disorients survivors immediately, giving you the full duration to close distance and attack. Using Haunt after you have already closed to melee range wastes its area-effect potential.

Forest Map Strategy — Locust's Home Turf

Locust dominates the Forest map because the open terrain, geyser fields, and wide trails all favor direct pursuit chases. Here is a complete Forest strategy for Locust:

Phase 1: 1:00 AM — The Opening Sweep

After spawning from the TV, immediately move toward the geyser fields. The geyser fields have zero cover, making them the highest-probability kill zone on Forest. If the 1:00 AM pulse highlights survivors in or near the geyser fields, sprint directly toward them — they have no hiding options.

Phase 2: 2:00–3:00 AM — Cave Sweeps and Patrol

By 2:00 AM, survivors have relocated from their initial positions. Your priority shifts to checking the main cave (east side) and the small cave (northwest). Use Haunt at each cave entrance before entering — this disorients any survivors inside and may flush them out.

Patrol route: Geyser fields → Main cave entrance (Haunt, enter, check) → Tree cluster (quick scan) → Small cave (Haunt, check) → Return to geyser fields for survivors crossing between covers.

Phase 3: 4:00–5:00 AM — Deep Hunting

By the late phases, remaining survivors are the most skilled. They use deep relocation and unpredictable paths. As Locust, your strategy shifts from systematic patrol to predictive hunting. Based on the survivors you saw in the 3:00 AM pulse, predict which direction they will relocate and intercept them.

Late-round Locust tips:

• Check the most isolated hiding spots first — these are where skilled survivors tend to go
• Listen for audio cues (survivor movement sounds) between pulses
• Use Haunt at the start of each chase rather than saving it
• Do not chase survivors into dense tree clusters — they have too many escape paths. Instead, wait at the cluster exit.

City Map Strategy — Locust's Weaker Ground

Locust is less effective on City because the vertical gameplay and tight corridors favor Guilt's wall-penetrating Haunt and vertical chase ability. However, Locust can still get kills on City with the right approach.

City Map Locust Priorities

1. Focus on ground-level survivors: Instead of chasing survivors up stairwells, patrol the ground floors and streets. Survivors on the ground have fewer escape options against Locust's direct chase.
2. Use Haunt at street intersections: The City's road layout creates natural choke points. Haunting a street intersection disorients survivors trying to cross between buildings.
3. Avoid rooftop pursuits: Locust cannot effectively chase survivors on rooftops. Leave rooftop hunting to Guilt's vertical abilities.
4. Check tunnels cautiously: City tunnels provide complete concealment. If the pulse shows survivors near tunnel entrances, Haunt the entrance and wait for them to emerge rather than entering blindly.

Locust vs Guilt — When to Switch

Locust is free and always available, but Guilt costs 7,000 coins and provides significantly higher kill potential, especially on City map. Here is when you should consider switching:

Progression advice: Master Locust on Forest first. Once you consistently eliminate 4–6 survivors per Forest round, you have the fundamental Giant skills to transition to Guilt. Earning the 7,000 coins for Guilt takes approximately 35–47 rounds of focused play.

Earning Coins as Locust

Since Locust is free, every Giant round you play contributes toward the 7,000-coin Guilt unlock. Here is your earning potential:

Earning optimization: Play in larger lobbies (14–16 players) to maximize your potential kill count per round. Use the SORRYFORDELAY code for 200 free coins. Consider purchasing the 2x Giant Chance game pass (200 Robux) to be selected as Giant more frequently, accelerating your coin accumulation.

Locust Ability Combos and Advanced Tactics

While Locust is the simpler Giant, there are still advanced techniques that separate good Locust players from great ones:

The Haunt-and-Check: Before entering any enclosed space (cave, building), activate Haunt at the entrance. If survivors are inside, the disorientation may flush them out. If no one is inside, you have wasted only 8 seconds of cooldown and can proceed without risk.

The Double-Back: After checking a hiding spot and finding nothing, walk away for 5 seconds, then quickly return. Survivors who saw you leave may emerge from cover, thinking it is safe. This baiting technique works on survivors who watch for the Giant to pass before relocating.

The Geyser Trap: Position yourself between the geyser fields and the nearest tree line. Survivors caught in the geyser fields during a pulse must sprint toward the tree line. By positioning yourself along their required path, you intercept them mid-sprint when they have no cover.

The Audio Bait: Stop moving and listen. Survivor movement produces quiet rustling sounds. If you hear rustling nearby but cannot see the survivor, activate Haunt in the direction of the sound. The disorientation may cause the survivor to panic and reveal themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Locust worth playing or should I just save for Guilt? Locust is definitely worth playing, especially on Forest map. A skilled Locust player can eliminate 5–6 survivors per round, which earns significant coins toward the Guilt unlock. Master Locust first to develop your Giant fundamentals before switching to the more complex Guilt.

What is Locust's best map? Forest is Locust's strongest map due to the open terrain and geyser fields that favor direct pursuit chases. Locust on City is viable but less effective than Guilt because the vertical layout limits Locust's straight-line chase advantage.

How does Locust's Haunt compare to Guilt's Haunt? Locust's Haunt has a moderate radius (~15 meters) and only affects survivors within line of sight. Guilt's Haunt has a larger radius (~20 meters) and works through walls, making it significantly more powerful on City map. Locust's Haunt is best used outdoors on Forest where line of sight is easier to maintain.

Can Locust compete with Guilt in skilled play? On Forest map, a highly skilled Locust can compete with a moderately skilled Guilt because the open terrain negates Guilt's wall-penetrating advantage. On City map, Guilt has a clear advantage regardless of skill level due to the vertical gameplay and indoor areas.

How do I maximize Locust kill count? Focus on Forest map, target survivors in geyser fields first, use Haunt at cave entrances before entering, and predict survivor relocation destinations rather than chasing their last-known positions. Playing in larger lobbies also increases your potential kill count.