The Scarlet Aegis is one of Grounded 2’s many hidden treasures. Learn where to find this unique shield and the best ways to use it.
Table of contents
What is the Scarlet Aegis
The Scarlet Aegis is an upgraded version of the Ladyguard. This unique shield retains everything good about the Ladyguard, or rather, the advantages of a Heavy Shield. However, this also comes with an added perk to make it more appealing.
This added perk, Parry Buggie Heal, allows us to take a more active Tank role for our Buggy. It gets significantly stronger in Co-op as well, since it will heal all nearby buggies. However, it’s a pretty strict sidegrade for the Ladyguard otherwise.
Preparations
Before heading out, we’ll need to make sure we have everything we need to reach the Scarlet Aegis. The only mandatory things we need to reach the Scarlet Aegis are the Red Soldier Ant Buggy and a Bratburst. However, Scorpidotes Smoothies are highly recommended.
The particular cave we need to access is blocked off by roots that require the Red Soldier Ant to remove. This buggy will also be able to help us with combat in the cave, as the Orb Weaver Buggy tends to have issues fitting into the smaller caves.
As with many hidden items, the Bratburst is required to remove a breakable rock. Splatbursts will work just as well if we’ve completed the Network Center.
We recommend taking Scorpidotes Smoothies, as the cave that contains the Scarlet Aegis will have us fight off multiple Scorpions. Not only are they great, quick healing, but they also help shrug off Venom should we miss Blocks or Parries on their attacks.
How to get the Scarlet Aegis
To start our Journey, we have multiple Points of interest from which to begin. These range from the closer options like the Lectern, which also has an O.R.C. Transmitter, to slightly further away options like the Ceremony Ranger Outpost. There’s also the Southern Statue Ascent, but this is much further past this location.
From any of these locations, the cave we need to head to is roughly in the middle of all of them. It can be very easy to overlook, as there’s not much going on in this area to signal that this cave exists. We’ll need the Red Soldier Ant to remove these roots before heading in.
The cave itself is fairly linear and unassuming. It’s packed with plenty of Quartzite and Marble if you want to make any upgrades. However, at the deepest part of the cave, we’ll come to this breakable wall.
By using the Bratburst we brought along, we’ll be able to knock out this false wall. Inside is a small area with a chest. This chest contains the Scarlet Aegis as well as some extra supplies and resources.
Once you’ve claimed the Scarlet Aegis, we’ll simply head back out the way we came. We’re now the owners of this unique shield.
Using the Scarlet Aegis
Much like the Ladyguard, the Scarlet Aegis is a strong shield for newer players. Its ability to fully block damage can make learning parry timing far more comfortable.
Pairing the Scarlet Aegis with the Ladybug Armor Set, as well as a strong One-handed Sword, like the Mosquito Needle or Crimson Avenger, as well as the Swordmaster bonus from the Tier 3 Blademaster Perk, leads to one of the best defensive setups in the game.
With the ability to restore our Health (with the Ladybug Set and/or Mosquito Rapier), our Buggies’ Health, and even quickly restore Stamina any time we stop attacking (T3 Blademaster) to continue to safely block, it’s arguably one of the best setups in the game.
The only real downside to this setup, in particular, is that we’ll take a bit longer to fight some enemies, particularly those with no Weaknesses. This is because the Fighter Archetype doesn’t offer as much offensive power as other Archetypes. So we’re instead relying on being durable and letting our Buggy do a lot of the work.
Once we get access to the Orb Weaver Buggy, it does get significantly better, as the Orb Weaver Buggy is just a much stronger damage-dealing buggy. However, much like the Splatburst, this requires the completion of the Network Center.
