The short version
Manticoils are harmless. They fly away when you get close or when anything loud happens nearby.
There is no fight here. The only useful thing to know is that a flock can pull attention away from something that does want you.
What a Manticoil is
They are bird-like entities with four wings, which is why players call them Double Wings.
You usually see them either flying across the map or foraging on the ground in groups. The bestiary spells the name Mantacoil, so do not be surprised by either spelling.
They are one of the two entities the game uses as harmless examples, the other being the Roaming Locust.
Where you meet them
Base spawn chance by moon, from the game’s bestiary:
| Moon | Base spawn chance |
|---|---|
| 21-Offense | 100.0% |
| 20-Adamance | 55.26% |
| 56-Vow | 51.81% |
| 41-Experimentation | 50.0% |
| 220-Assurance | 50.0% |
| 68-Artifice | 46.88% |
| 61-March | 43.01% |
On Offense they are guaranteed. If you land there, assume a flock is somewhere on the surface.
How they behave
They disperse into the sky when approached or frightened.
They also fly off when they hear a sound above a certain volume, which makes them a rough noise meter. A flock lifting off ahead of you is telling you something made a sound.
That is their entire behaviour. There is no chase, no attack and no second phase.
Killing one, if you insist
Every melee weapon kills a Manticoil in one hit: shovel, stop sign, yield sign or kitchen knife.
The Double-Barrel does not damage them at all, so do not waste a shell finding that out.
They can also be stunned, and a stunned Manticoil spins in circles, which makes the follow-up hit easy to land.
Why you should not bother
There is no loot, no quota credit and no threat removed. Killing one costs stamina and makes noise for nothing.
The single exception is worth knowing, though.
The one real use: a decoy
A group of Manticoils can become an effective distraction for an Old Bird.
When an Old Bird launches at a flock instead of at your crew, that is time and distance you did not have to pay for.
So on moons where Old Birds are active, it is worth knowing where the flocks are. Not to kill them, but to stand near them or drive them toward the thing you would rather not be noticed by.
How they differ from Roaming Locusts
The two harmless entities get confused with each other, and the difference matters once you are using them as information.
Manticoils react to volume, so they lift off when anything loud happens, including your own noise. Roaming Locusts only scatter when something physically moves through their formation.
That makes the Manticoil the better signal. A flock rising on its own means a sound happened that you may not have registered, while a locust swarm breaking apart usually just means someone walked through it.
Manticoils also have the decoy use against Old Birds. Roaming Locusts have no equivalent.
Mistakes people make
- Firing the shotgun at them. The Double-Barrel does no damage, and the noise scatters the flock you might have used.
- Hunting them for sport. The noise draws attention and there is nothing to gain.
- Reading the flock wrong. They also flee from your own noise, so a scatter does not always mean something else is out there.
- Forgetting they exist on Offense. They are on every Offense landing, which makes the decoy option available almost every time.
Related guides
- Monsters database — every entity with its location.
- How to beat Old Bird — the entity a flock can distract.
- How to beat Roaming Locust — the other harmless outdoor entity.