The “Instinct of Destruction” expansion for Atomic Heart strips Major Nechaev of his usual arsenal and abilities right from the start. Players will have to master new ways to destroy robots. In this guide, we’ll take a detailed look at both new weapons—the “Klusha” spear and the “Secateur” machine gun—and determine whether they’re worth the resources to upgrade.

The “Klusha” Spear: Is the New Melee Weapon Effective?

After a brief tour of the “Legkaya” hotel, your first weapon will be the “Klusha” spear-oar (named after large seagulls). The weapon is marketed as light and fast, but with zero upgrades, its drawbacks are obvious:

  • Lack of Stance: Light attacks do not stun enemies or interrupt enemy strikes. You will often take damage in return.
  • Problem with Necromancers: If you simply knock the mannequin down with a strong strike, it will be resurrected by Baba Zina’s abilities. To completely destroy the doll, you need a series of light strikes until it explodes.
  • Poor crowd control: The weapon is well-balanced for duels (against a maximum of two enemies). As soon as a crowd appears in the arena, quick revives and flying limbs make fighting “Klusha” a painful experience.

Upgrading Klushi and Comparing It to “Zvezdochka”

In the DLC, all weapons can be upgraded to a maximum of level 2.

  • Blade: The “Offset Balancer” is recommended. It provides more energy, increased damage to weak points, and protects the Major from falls.
  • Special Attack: Only one type is available—a downward thrust with a harpoon.
  • Handle: At max level, allows you to charge the special attack instantly after a series of light strikes.

Klush vs. Zvezdochka (Raf-9 Test): With both characters levelled up to Level 2, to defeat the Rafik robot:

  • Kluche needs 11 hits (or 8 light hits + 1 charged hit).
  • Star (basic attacks) needs 14 hits.
  • Star (special attack with saws) needs only 4 normal hits and 2 uses of homing saws.

Close-range combat summary: “Klush” is excellent at clearing out crowds of small orbs (BUSes), but for serious battles and defeating the DLC’s sole boss (Megazord), it’s better to use the tried-and-true “Star”—its saws target weak spots and allow you to maintain a safe distance.

A Machine Gun from Dumgay: Review of the “Secateur”

If the melee weapons raised some questions, then this new firearm deserves applause. You’ll receive the “Secateur” machine gun as part of the story after collecting the first BU for Professor Lebedev. It’s a brutal replacement for the Kalashnikov, which is missing from the DLC.

Fire Modes and Leveling Up

  • Primary Mode: Rapid machine gun fire. There’s a huge supply of ammo, so you won’t have to conserve it.
  • Special Attack: This is the “Secateur’s” main strength. The alternate fire doesn’t use ammo; instead, it consumes your Energy to unleash a wide energy wave. This is perfect for cutting through clumped-together BUOs and breaking through crowds.

Which converter should I choose?

  • Normal: A charged shot pierces enemies in a straight line (up to 3 targets) and deals slightly more damage.
  • Wide Spread: Increases the width of the energy wave (hitting enemies on the sides), recharges faster, and consumes less energy.

Rambo Tactics: Use “Pruning Shears” in combination with the Polymer Shield. Activate the shield (it will generate energy from incoming damage), charge into the crowd, and spam energy waves. As soon as the energy runs out, hold down the trigger and rain lead on the robots.

Warning: Eleanor forgot the blueprints in the DLC. If you dismantle the starting PM or Shotgun to level up the Pruning Shears, you won’t be able to craft them back!