Sandworms

Overview
Sandworms are creatures that largely resemble worms, except gigantic and much more threatening. They are known for their tough hides and teeth protruding from their protective armor, easily making them one of the toughest critters to be subdued. Many of them are capable of withstanding innumerable bullets and the largest are capable of withstanding multiple Super Tank tank shells before going down.

Sandworms are best known for their threatening Salivic Acid. Despite the fact only the larger sandworms can use this attack, this attack inflicts armor-piercing Fire-damage, combined with substantial DoT. This attack makes unarmored units without Fire-damage and DoT protection nearly suicidal, and can easily mincemeat tanks. It is not advised to engage these creatures without units that have significant Fire-damage and DoT resistance, such as Salamander. Many also have less destructive body slam, bite or dig-under attacks which have their own perks.

It is mentioned by Bogan that sandworms live in the "never-never".

History
First being encountered early on in the game, Elder Taos states, starting with the mission "A Worm to Remember", that Raider Hunters use fear charms to hunt sandworms, saying that sandworms are attracted to fear, with just a whiff of it having the potential to drive them into a frenzy. After capturing a group of sandworms, the players is given the option to build a Sandworm Ranch.

In the mission "Jaws: the Revenge", Elder Taos, once again, travels to the Outpost to inform Lt. Morgan of the lethal consequences of his actions that he apparently did not know of, this time saying that by killing a great many sandworms in Skarborough and not burying them in a sacred ritual (which seems as though only the Raiders know of), they stirred the mighty Elder Sandworm from its slumber. The player is then forced to defeat the most powerful version of the Elder Sandworm.

Beginning with the mission "Sandworm Bait", the player goes on a hunt with Bogan and Floyd to quell a strange sandworm wreaking havoc to Bogan's House, where it resides, captured. Bogan calls it the "Ridgy-Didge", but Floyd later calls it the Emperor Sandworm, a sub-species capable of commanding other sandworms to do its will. Unfortunately, Floyd reached this conclusion only after the 95th Rifle Company killed the only known Emperor Sandworm (though Floyd said before they engaged it that he wanted it captured, not killed), leaving the mysterious sandworm species even more mysterious than it was before.

In a series of missions starting with Perkins' Special Assignment, Perkins accidentally ingests a sandworm parasite. This often causes madness or death, and the long-term effect on Perkins is still unknown. In Raider culture, the parasite is known as The Sacred Passenger, and brave warriors sometimes seek to prove their strength by ritually consuming it. Crazy Blades is said to have undergone this trial.

Boss Strike
Sandworm units participated in the following Boss Strikes:

Boss Strike 5: Yuzul the Raptor Trainer Boss Strike 8: The Battle of Shaman Kuros Boss Strike 12: Raider Warlord Challenge Boss Strike 14: Yuzul the Raptor Trainer Boss Strike 20: Yuzul the Raptor Trainer

Invasion Events
Sandworm units participated in the following Invasion events:


 * Animal Invasion
 * 2 Year Anniversary Animal Invasion

Buildings
The following are buildings and/or decorations associated with Sandworms:


 * Animal Trainer - a training building, able to train sandworm units as well as other Critters.
 * Sandworm Ranch - a shop that produces goods under the Meat category.
 * Bronzed Sandworm - a decoration that enhances Gold production.
 * Ceremonial Hearthstone - a limited-time shops used in the Valentines Day Missions for setting out Sandworm Skin Traps.

Locations
The following are locations that are associated with Sandworms:


 * Bogan's House

Trivia

 * Sandworms feature prominently in the novels. Several characters are mystically transformed after consuming sandworm products, similar to the effects of the Sacred Passenger experienced by Perkins and Crazy Blades.
 * The L7 Sandworm Drill is presumably named for its ability to tunnel, just like Sandworms.
 * Sandworms are possibly a reference to the mythical, which has many shared traits.