JA2 Walkthrough - Bug Cave

Bug Cave

As an exterminator, you can only act in Sci-Fi mode. The cockroaches appear after you have conquered four mines and achieved a certain level of loyalty in all towns. The dialogue between Deidranna and Eliot must not be skipped, otherwise the bugs won't spawn (this is a bug in JA2). You can also lure them out by conquering Tixa and inspecting the basement—there you'll find an additional passage in SF mode with a ladder leading down to a small bug cave, essentially a practice area.

After the fourth town, you should look for Gabby, found in sector I4 or H11. He explains some details about the creatures and sells two items:

  1. Gabby's special elixir, a kind of perfume strong enough to mask even a mercenary who hasn't showered in weeks.
  2. Mason jars

Mason jars are also sold by Keith in Cambria. You need three jars per merc, so start stockpiling early. One jar of elixir covers about five mercs.

A few days after Deidranna orders Eliot to stop feeding her pets, one of the mine foremen reports strange, aggressive creatures. If you do nothing, the bugs will surface and devour civilians and militia. Worse, the miners will go on strike—without income, friendship and animal rights quickly lose priority. Time to act.

Mercenary Equipment

  • Automatic rifles
  • Hollow-point ammunition
  • Explosives (grenades, TNT, mines)
  • 3 mason jars per merc
  • Med kits
  • Night vision (not UV—those don't work underground)
  • Listening devices
  • Canteens
  • Adequate amounts of elixir

Timing matters: if you enter the infested mine at the wrong time, mercs will report enemies but none appear. Midnight is best.

All mercs should apply the elixir (click the jar on the body; the merc will say "Cool" or similar). Since the bugs navigate by smell, the perfume lets you move freely without sneaking. The only restriction: don't stop directly adjacent to a bug—the perfume isn't that strong.

Two Play Styles

  • Animal lovers: believe even giant cockroaches deserve a quick, painless death. They use firearms liberally. The bugs are so large that even poor shooters hit reliably with bursts.
  • Training enthusiasts: treat the cave as a training ground. Sneaking around bugs safely trains agility. Boxing them (step close, punch, step back) raises strength and dexterity. Bugs never seem to interrupt. Avoid hitting the tail base, as it wears them down too quickly.

Progression

Work through the sectors. Each level has a hole leading deeper. On the lowest level you'll find Queen Mum. The easiest way to kill her is to pile all explosives nearby and detonate with a grenade. She drops slime ("goo"). More slime can be collected by clicking a jar on her corpse. Use slime to treat armor (helmet, vest, pants)—it becomes stronger and lighter. Warning: armor already treated with Compound-18 must not be combined with slime, or it will dissolve.

When asked whether to return to the surface, answer "No." On the way back, collect monster parts (claws, flesh, organs). Gabby and Micky pay well for them. If you have spare jars, you can also collect monster blood for Gabby.

Notes

  • For animal lovers: Killing the queen is enough—all other bugs die automatically. You can bypass upper levels and head straight to her.
  • For trainers: Bugs reproduce quickly. If you want more training and don't need mine income, leave the queen alive. In 2–3 days, the cave will repopulate to a profitable density.