Land Monster

* Current (S2)
* Planet Eater Monster (H)
* Necromus (H)
* Golden Land Monster
* Titanite Monster
* Old (S1)
* Classic

* Can dive in Lava.
* Immunity to debuff in the Desert.
* Consume carcasses.

"*UPGRADED to Land Monster!
Create Sink holes to trap prey!*"

The **Land Monster** is a tier 16 Volcanic animal in Mope.io, and the equivalent of the Dino Monster, Bird Monster, Sea Monster, Ice Monster, Giant Scorpion and Bird Monster. It was introduced on December 3, 2018.

## Technical

* Upgrades from the Kraken, King Crab, Dragon, Phoenix, T-REX, The Bigfoot, Yeti, The Snowman or Pterodactyl at 5M XP.
* Upgrades to the Black Dragon or King Dragon at 10M XP.
* The Land Monster drinks lava to survive instead of water. It is also able to dive in lava, a trait that is not shared by all Lava-drinking Animals.
* It can consume all food sources in the game, except for berries, dates, cactus pears and water pods.
* Prey of the Land Monster includes all animals within the range of tier 15 to tier 7 (Dragon to Donkey).
* Predators of the Land Monster includes all tier 17 animals (Black Dragon and King Dragon).
* The Special Ability of the Land Monster is "Sinkhole". Similar to the "Whirlpool" ability of the Sea Monster and The Kraken, the "Sinkhole" ability creates a gargantuan-sized hiding hole of sorts that will forcibly suck all nearby animals into it, stunning and damaging them. It can work over any surface, will cause the player's lava bar to slightly decrease, and has an 11 second recharge time.
* The Passive Abilities of the Land Monster are flying over everything, being able to dive in lava, being able to consume carcasses, and immunity to debuff in the Desert biome.
* It can use almost all hiding spots. The only one it cannot use is the small hiding hole.
	+ During the Land Monster's special ability's activation period, and for two seconds after, the Land Monster will temporarily be unable to enter all hiding spots.

## Appearance

### Land Monster (S2)

The "*Season 2*" era Land Monster skin, which as of now is the default in-game skin, is mostly red-orange, with an ovular shape surrounded in orange spikes. It has a narrow snout, a few red sharp teeth, and two small nostrils on its nose. Small lighter spots are scattered across its snout. A pair of long The Land Monster's eyes are in sockets surrounded by a bony casque, being set in a glare. It has 3 lines of spikes on its back to the tail. The central line has much larger spikes with a pair of darker, smaller spines on them. Two slightly muscular wings fold in. The sides of its body are darker than the rest.

### Planet Eater Monster

The Planet Eater Monster is a dark purple Animal. It has a lighter ridged head split into 4 long spines at the back and a toothed overbite. It has nostrils and slightly bared eyes. Behind its head is a navy blue wisp-like pattern and two globes: one that is green, and the other that is blue with green splotches. The sides of the monster is darker than the center. The Plant Eater Monster has large blue spikes down its back. The center spine has a water-like texture at the base. Its sides have purple spines, and it has lighter spikes near its blue spines. Its wings are fairly large, showing a blue splashed pattern as if the membranes were water. 4 small spikes can be seen on the midpoint of the wings. It has golden fire.

### Necromus

The Necromus is a rich dark cinnamon color. Its head is elongated with small nostrils and dark fearsome eyes containing a light yellow pupil each. 3 curving gold horns sit on its head, arcing upwards and having a gradient from the main brown color. An additional shorter pair curves under the head. Its forehead is an orange blazing fire. The Necromus's back is studded with stones and has two V-shaped yellow margins. 4 narrow orange spikes line its back, and its tail is thick with a fancy triangular point. The Animal's wings are very large, curving inwards, with a golden talon and fire for the webbing.

The fire on the Necromus's head is animated in-game and flickers.

### Golden Land Monster

The Golden Land Monster is spikier and golden. It also looks slightly down and has darker spots scattered on its back.

### Titanite Monster

The Titanite Monster is bigger, greener and spikier. It’s meant to resemble titanite. It has large, curved spikes on the front sides of its body. Its wings stick out further sideways.

### Land Monster (S1)

The "*Season 1*" Land Monster is one of the more complex animals. It has a similar form to the current skin, but with a generally broader snout and many white teeth surrounding it. No casque is seen. It has substantially less highlights, including a darker line on the bridge of the nose. Its wings are smaller and more swept back. Less spikes are on its back.

### Classic

The Classic Land Monster is fundamentally the same as the Season 1 Land Monster, but has no highlights except for a small one on its nose. Its eyes are substantially larger and look more friendly. The spikes on its back are rounded, and its wings are closer together.

## Strategy

### As a Land Monster

* The player should search for Dragons, Phoenixes and other apex tier animals like the T-REX and try to eat them with their ability. Lower tier animals like the Bison and Elephant may be consumed as well, being easier to kill but giving much less XP.
* The Land Monster's ability is powerful, dealing a decent amount of damage if the Animal is in range of the sinkhole. The sinkhole's suction is strong, and should have a high success rate for catching and killing prey.
* The Land Monster's spit fire has been buffed to use less lava and is currently bugged to do plenty of damage. Because there is no cooldown for each S press, the player can fire away at a close ranged foe.
	+ If used accurately, it can lower the prey's health to a fourth, rendering them an easy meal. It can also be used to finish off prey after the sinkhole ability has already been utilized.
	+ The fire is useful in the case prey is hiding beneath a tree canopy, as it damages them and sets them on fire to do more damage.
* Eating Watermelons and Red Mushrooms that spawn at the Volcano provides good reliable XP.
* As long as the player is within a certain range of the Volcano or in the Desert, they will only lose lava by boosting, spitting, or activating their Special Ability. In this radius, they will regenerate lava at a slow passive rate.
	+ This range is circular, centered on the Volcano. It is larger than the Phoenix's, and leaves a bit of ground between the Desert, Arctic, and Ocean where the Land Monster does not regenerate lava. It is least inclusive at the corners of the land biome.
* In the event the player is low on lava, they should go back to the Volcano as quickly as possible and either sit at a lava spot or at the large Healing Stone.
	+ Because Healing Stones now frequently spawn in all biomes, the player could alternatively sit at one of them to replenish their lava quickly.
* The Black Dragon may try to kill the player if they're at or near the Volcano(mostly because the Land Monster is one of the apexes needed for King Dragon). The Land Monster's ability isn't very useful for slowing it down and will disable entering Hiding Holes while it is active, so if a Black Dragon chases the player, enter a nearby Hiding Hole to stall.
* Remember that using the Sinkhole ability prevents the player from boosting and entering Hiding Holes/Whirlpools while it's out and for a couple seconds afterwards. Forgetting this in a tight spot can be deadly.
* If the Volcano is too crowded with other lava animals such as the Black Dragon, the player can relocate to the Desert. There, the player can farm Melons, Cacti and Aloevera. However, the Land Monster is slower in the Desert, so relocating should only be done if absolutely necessary.
* The player can roam the Desert and eat Bison, Komodo Dragons, Blackwidow Spiders, and Pterodactyls. Bison and Blackwidow Spiders may be fairly difficult to catch as Bison can charge away quickly, and Blackwidow Spiders can web the player to escape.
	+ Pterodactyls will likely be the hardest to hunt since they can fly - keep them from flying if possible by spitting at them with S. If it does take off, chase it relentlessly as the Pterodactyl will drain energy while it flies. Chasing Pterodactyls is time-consuming if the Pterodactyl had a lot of energy prior to running, but eventually it will be low and cannot fly anymore. Additionally, cornering one in a hole will cause the Pterodactyl's energy bar to drain over time, while the Land Monster's lava bar remains steady.
	+ Phoenixes may rarely occupy the Desert. Phoenixes are also slower in the Desert like the Land Monster, and have normal boost interval, so they cannot outrun the player. Similar to hunting Pterodactyls, hunting Phoenixes is mostly a running game as they can move on the same surfaces as the Land Monster.
* Alternatively, the player can farm plentiful Cacti and Aloevera, as they are rich in XP. Do be careful with Cacti, because eating them consistently can leave the player vulnerable to attack.
* Giant Scorpions might be there too, and are the largest threat to the Land Monster in the biome. Their stings are very powerful in the Desert, capable of eroding the player's hp quickly and leaving them defenseless. While sinkholing it is an option, it is not very effective, so the player should avoid them at all costs. Entering the land biome weakens the Giant Scorpion's stings severely, and entering water outside of the Desert will freeze it over time. The latter should only be done in an emergency as the Land Monster is sluggish in water bodies.
* Black Dragons may occasionally wander the Desert. The player should run at the sight at one. The Black Dragon will quickly run low on lava in a chase, as they passively drain lava in the biome, even more if they fireball or run. Be wary of any edges of the map.
* Killing other monstrous equivalents is not very recommended, as the chances that the player will kill them are small. While great at offense and killing prey, the Land Monster is not a high-achiever in defensive skills. The sinkhole can delay other monsters and Black Dragons from inflicting damage on it, but the ability suction tends to work against the player when used this way as it pulls danger closer to them.
	+ The Sea Monster is essentially the ocean equivalent of the Land Monster, and being on the other end of such an ability is not too pleasant. Sea Monsters are completely defenseless on Land, so the player can try to beach the monster if possible. In the water though, Land Monsters can't dive, can't use their ability, renders the spitfire next to useless, and slows the monster. One should avoid the Sea Monster completely.
	+ The Dino Monster can toss the player far from the volcano, potentially out of the lava regeneration radius. Because all monsters' abilities do not become hindered by effects, the only way to avoid the charge is to physically dodge it(which is very difficult considering the Dino Monster's size) or hide behind a rock which a Dino Monster cannot climb. The player should use their ability on the Dino Monster only when the opposing monster's ability is on cooldown.
	+ While encountering an Ice Monster is rare, it can freeze the player consistently with its rapid ability charge. Its ice crystals do not go over hills or rocks, so the player can use terrain to their advantage. The Ice Monster also cannot climb rocks and can only fire so many crystals in quick succession, especially in the Land or Volcano biomes. Ice Monsters will usually try to distance themselves away from Land Monsters knowing their sinkhole ability, so the player shouldn't let it gain ground or flee.
* The Land Monster is regarded by the community to be the most suited for 1v1s out of the monsters because of it's slender shape.

### Against a Land Monster

* Avoid any Land Monsters if the player is prey, as they can suck the player into their sinkhole and eat them. Especially avoid the Land Monster's mouth, as it is the origin of the Land Monster's ability, and the sinkhole has decent range that becomes bigger as the Land Monster gains more XP.
	+ If the player is sucked into the sinkhole, there is little opportunity to escape as its suction is strong and damages the player, almost acting as a kind of barrier sandwiching the player between the sinkhole's exterior and the Land Monster's mouth.
	+ Out of the apex tiers, the Phoenix is the only one that can really avoid damage as its reduced boost interval lets it take less bites from the Land Monster.
* The spitfire of the Land Monster is very powerful, and is often used to finish low health prey. Most Land Monsters will spamm fire at the player if they are on low health or has escaped a sinkhole.
* In general, it is relatively easy to avoid the Land Monster, unless the player is a Phoenix, as it normally hangs around the Volcano and only rarely lingers in the Desert.
* The best way to kill a Land Monster is by drawing it away from lava, as it regenerates lava fast while on it(except for Desert lava spots) and is passively faster. Lava can also serve as a barrier blocking most other Animals from the damaging it if it's on low health.
* Healing Stones are *very* frequent, and a Land Monster can easily regain health and lava while running through these. Keep the Land Monster in an areas free of Healing Stones, if possible.
* Constantly flying can be a disadvantage for the Land Monster - one can hide under a Tree to avoid being bitten because the monster will fly over it. The Land Monster's sinkhole can still suck the player, potentially out from under the tree and into the open, and their fire can harm the player.
	+ If the player sees one in the Desert, they can try to trick it into going near the Ocean into water, where they are much weaker. Skilled players may realize their position and adjust accordingly. They are much harder to fool.
	+ As a T-REX, the player can lure it near the Ocean, and(preferably with the help of another Rex) they can drag it far out to sea, where it will quickly lose lava as it is not in the lava regeneration radius. It will additionally be unable to dive, so the player can use their superior dive time to recharge their ability and drag them deeper into the Ocean to inflict lots of damage.
* Animals such as the Yeti have quite effective abilities against the Land Monster; the freeze ability's AOE and snowballs act as a good deterrent against the Land Monster's wrath because it can't get close very easily.
* Other apexes don't have the same capability to kill Land Monsters. The Land Monster thrives in close contact with prey, so it's essential the player stays out of its reach.

## Gallery

### Assets

The "*Season 2*" Land Monster skin (in-game from February 1, 2022).Planet Eater Monster (2021 Halloween skin; in-store from October 25, 2021–)Necromus (2021 Halloween skin; in-store from October 25, 2021).The Golden Land Monster (in-store from December 23, 2019–).The Titanite Monster (in-store from December 23, 2019–).The "*Season 1*" Land Monster skin (in-game from December 3, 2018 – January 31, 2022).Classic skin as seen in the teaser (in-store from May 22, 2021–).The image of the "Sinkhole" ability.
### In-game

A screenshot of the Land Monster's scrapped flying ability from the teaser2 Land Monsters in the volcano.A mini Land Monster ruling the volcano. Screenshot by Ocaveraryna.Another Land Monster near a river. Screenshot by Ocaveraryna.Dino Monster with Land Monster. Screenshot by Ocaveraryna.A mini Land Monster in an Arctic Volcano. Screenshot by Ocaveraryna.Land Monster sucking up an Eagle in its sinkhole.A mini Land Monster.A Planet Eater Monster finishing off a Land Monster with its spitfire.Season 1 Land Monster at the VolcanoA land monster near to the Golden Black Dragon.
### Other

Leak of a currently unreleased Season 2 Land Monster skin, posted by KoA in the Official Mope Discord
## History

### Criticism

#### Ability

Circa March 2020, Land Monster and Kraken both had their abilities nerfed: they had little to no suction power. They went under criticism for being unplayable, with prey being able to escape the hole with ease even if they were far down.

In the big update to Beta on June 24, 2020, the Land Monster was nerfed again due to its sinkhole ability being extremely overpowered this time. From a long range, it could suck in animals that under normal circumstances would remain unharmed from their distance. It was then buffed afterwards, giving back its suction but no longer as powerful.

On June 21, 2021 the Land Monster got nerfed again, increasing its reload time from 9 seconds to 11 and increasing the amount of time it can't use holes after its ability(previously, it couldn't use holes for only the ability's duration, but now it can't use holes during its ability *and* 3 seconds afterwards). However, using its fire spit takes much less lava(1/9 instead of 1/5) and it deals a lot more damage than previously due to a bug, rendering it a little overpowered.

To this day, Land Monster remains controversial as its ability and spit make it very difficult to escape its sinkhole.

#### Name

Some fans of the game have suggested renaming the Land Monster to Lava Monster, Volcano Monster and/or other similar names to avoid confusion. This is because despite the current name, the Land Monster is more focused to be in the Volcano Biome and therefore more related to fire and lava, unlike the Dino Monster, which is designed to be in other places in the Land biome. Although the Land Monster can roam the Land biome without problems, it needs to drink lava that is only found in the Volcano Biome or in Desert. Despite this, the developers have not changed the Land Monster's name, presumably due to it being too late to change it now without causing further confusion.

## Trivia

* Story (copied from Mope.io): Land Monster was a resident of the volcano, but he lost his home to the Black Dragon. He is angry and wants to take revenge.
* In the teaser, it had a flying ability. However, it was apparently scrapped on the "*Invasion of the Birds*" update on May 13, 2018, which is odd as it wasn’t released on that date.
* KOA originally stated that Black Dragons will fall in sinkhole if they are below 15M XP. However, this has been changed so that any Black Dragon, no matter its XP, can fall in.
* Along with all the other monsters, it was confirmed by many players that the monsters were secretly removed by KOA. It is unknown why he did it, potentially because they were too overpowered to be in the game and he could not think of any nerfs for them. However, they have been added back.

### Glitches

* If a Black Dragon was trapped in a Land Monster's sinkhole, it would lose are large portion of its health instantly if the Snowman used its Special Ability on it.

## Footnotes

### References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOS-KY6A1xw
2. ↑ https://discord.com/channels/508469597209362433/624618472713879572/876526605923655721

* Land
* Ocean
* Arctic
* Desert
* Forest
* Lava
* Rares
* Poisonous
* AI
* Unreleased
* Re-added

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