The short version
Mask Hornets defend a hive, and the hive is worth real money. That is the trade.
Take it last, on the way out, with a clear route. Treat it as an exit-stop, not a stop on the way in.
What Mask Hornets are
They are an indoor entity that lives in a hive attached to the facility structure.
The hive is the valuable part. It is scrap you can carry and sell, and it pays well for its weight.
The hornets are the cost. They are not interested in you until you are close to the nest.
That makes this a looting decision rather than a fight. You are choosing whether the hive pays for the risk.
How the swarm reacts
The trigger is proximity to the nest, and the response is fast.
Approaching the hive wakes the swarm. Distance from the hive is what matters, not noise.
Taking the hive guarantees the response. The moment it leaves the wall, expect company.
The swarm follows. It does not stay at the nest. It comes with you, which is why the route out matters more than the grab.
It does not give up quickly. You have to put real distance or a door between you and them.
The practical consequence is simple: never take a hive while you still have rooms to loot nearby.
Deciding whether it is worth it
Not every hive should be taken. Use these checks.
How far is the exit? A hive near the entrance is a good pick-up. A hive deep in the facility is a different proposition.
How full are your hands? If you are already carrying dense scrap, the hive may not fit the weight budget.
Is the crew healthy? A wounded crew should not add a swarm chase to the walk out.
What else is nearby? Taking a hive with a Bracken in the room is stacking two problems.
If the answers are good, take it. If any answer is bad, walk past a valuable item and keep the run.
Taking the hive
The grab itself has a right way to do it.
Clear your route first. Know exactly how you are leaving before you touch the hive.
Take it last. Do the rest of the room first, then the hive, then go.
Grab and move. Do not stand and admire the value. Walk.
Keep hands as free as possible so you can move at normal speed.
Do not fight the swarm. Killing hornets does not end the response and it costs you the seconds you needed.
The whole sequence should take seconds. A hive grab that turns into a fight has already gone wrong.
Getting out afterwards
The walk out is where this is won or lost.
Close doors behind you. Anything that slows the swarm is worth doing.
Do not stop to loot on the way out. The swarm is behind you.
Walk, do not sprint blindly. Sprint if the route is clear and known, walk if you need to keep your bearings.
Get on the ship. Boarding ends it.
Expect to drop something. If the swarm closes, shed weight rather than fight. The hive alone is worth more than the rest of a heavy load.
Crews that plan the exit before the grab lose nothing here. Crews that grab first and think second lose the haul and sometimes the diver.
Solo versus crew
This is one of the few valuable pickups a solo diver can still take, with care.
Solo: only hives close to the entrance, only with free hands, only as the last action of the run. A solo diver has nobody to distract the swarm.
Crew: one diver grabs while another watches the route. The second diver can also carry the rest of the haul out, which keeps the grabber light.
Both: never take a hive while the quota is already met. The value does not help and the risk is unchanged.
Mistakes that get people killed
- Taking the hive early in the run. You then loot the rest of the facility with a swarm attached.
- Grabbing it without a planned exit. Plan first, grab second.
- Fighting the hornets. It does not end the response and it wastes your window.
- Carrying it alongside heavy scrap. Shed weight instead of slowing down.
- Taking it when the quota is already met. Pure downside.
Reading it in the bestiary
Mask Hornets are one of the 16 indoor entities in the monster database. That table lists every entity with its location and hazard rating where the source data provides one.
Many entities in our source data do not have populated hazard or health fields. We describe behaviour rather than invent figures, because the decision here is about routing rather than stats.
Related guides
- Best scrap tier list — how the hive ranks by value per weight.
- Scrap database — all 70 items with value, weight and flags.
- Indoor monsters guide — all 16 facility entities and how they differ.
- Survival guide — planning the walk back before you pick anything up.