How to deal with the Nutcracker in Lethal Company

The Nutcracker awaits you in Lethal Company with a shotgun in its hand and a surprise under its head. This monster wants nothing more than to see your head crushed before Christmas day, so, if you want to survive the holiday season, here’s how to deal with the Nutcracker in Lethal Company.

What is the Nutcracker in Lethal Company?

Part of Update 45, the Nutcracker brings horrifying festivities with its seasonal appearance… and a shotgun? You could have a Western standoff against the Nutcracker if you’ve installed the shotgun mod, but be warned, these monsters pack one hell of a punch.

Beneath its classic appearance lies a one eyed creature that controls the stiff animatronic movements of the Nutcracker. This monster has a high spawn chance on higher-threat Moons like Rend, Dine, and Titan. Thankfully, only one Nutcracker can spawn at a time. Although it’s seemingly designed to be overpowered, there are ways you can easily avoid or kill this monster.

The Nutcracker has a single eye that pops out to scan for nearby players. You’ll need to avoid this by using cover. You can steal the Nutcracker’s shotgun by getting behind it but in doing so, the Nutcracker will switch to melee attacks.

How to avoid or kill the Nutcracker

The Nutcracker wields a double-barrelled shotgun, meaning you have a chance to not only evade the incoming fire, but also a small opportunity to fight back while the monster reloads. The Nutcracker fires two shots, one after the other, upon seeing you. To survive, you’ll need to react quickly and hide behind the nearest cover.

You have approximately three seconds while the Nutcracker reloads to get in two Shovel hits before it attacks again. The Nutcracker cannot move while it shoots. Keep this in mind and use the map layout to your advantage. The map offers natural cover with its narrow corridors, so there are plenty of places to hide behind corners. Large open rooms may be your downfall, so stick to the wall and look out for corners whenever you get the chance.

Keep an eye out for any Bracken, Jester, Ghost Girl, or Coil-Head that could appear alongside your intense one-versus-one with the Nutcracker, as fighting multiple enemies at once is asking for trouble.

Given the looming threat of the Nutcracker, it’s more important than ever to take weapons like the Shovel, Stop-Sign, and Yield-Sign into Facilities with you. With the “rail cheese” almost completely removed by developer Zeekerss, the Shovel may be your only chance of escape.

Can you use the Nutcracker’s shotgun in Lethal Company?

Yes, you can use the Nutcracker’s shotgun after killing it with a Shovel or stealing it by getting behind the Nutcracker while it scans (grab with E). Take out the Nutcracker with four-to-five Shovel hits or creep up behind it to nab its boomstick. There are two shotgun shells on the floor for you to grab, too if you kill it.

The shells count as scrap, so will take up space in your inventory. You’ll end up with the shotgun and two shells, taking up three inventory slots in total. You can sell them as scrap at the Company Building, or you can use the shotgun against other monsters in the Facility.

Here are the keybinds for the shotgun:

• Fire – Left mouse click
• Reload – E
• Safety on/off – Q

The Nutcracker’s shotgun can kill large, terrifying threats like Thumpers in a single hit, so we highly recommend trying it out. It even works on the Bracken, Jester, and other dangerous monsters lurking inside and outside the Facility.