Ground Shaker

Ground Shakers are bulky, four-legged enemies exclusively found in the Cavern. They have huge paws and an armored back which neutralizes most attacks. They are exclusive to the Rise of the Giant DLC.

Behavior
If the Ground Shaker sees the player at a distance, it will use its avalanche attack. At melee range, it will swipe with its claws. It has a fairly long delay between each attack.

Ground Shakers are completely shielded from the back, except against whips. They also cannot be stunned.

Strategy
Since Ground Shakers are invincible from the rear and can't be stunned, killing one almost always requires drawing aggro. The very first thing to watch out for is its avalanche attack. Unless the ceiling is low, do not dodge when you see the shine in the ceiling, but wait for the rocks to fall down before rolling. Fighting a Ground Shaker with uneven ceiling is tricky because the falling rocks can throw off your timing. Bait out the attack from as far away as possible if it's located in an uneven area.

Its melee attack is easily telegraphed and takes longer to attempt. The startup before its first swing gives you enough time to roll away, and the final shockwave attack takes much longer to come out. Even with slow weapons, it should be easy to hit it at least twice while it's charging up the shockwave. Some weapons with longer range can hit the Ground Shaker away from its claw attacks. Though it is riskier, the melee attack can be parried and deal notable damage or give the player a good position against the Ground Shaker if the player times their parries well, but the shockwave cannot be parried and must be dodged.

Generally, to deal with a Ground Shaker, first watch out for falling rocks. Then, either kill it from a distance before it can use its shockwave attack, or get very close to it while it's charging up the shockwave and roll behind it before it comes out. Because of its large size, you need to get as close as possible to roll behind it.

Ground Shakers are much easier to fight with ranged weapons as they will likely be able to only attempt their avalanche attack. Many Caverns enemies are vulnerable to ranged weapons, so it is highly advised to take one if possible.