Ankhegs are large (about 10' in length) insectoid burrowing creatures. Strange sounds can be heard right before an ankheg (or group of them) emerges to attack. Use caution in areas where they live, and fight only one or two of these creatures at a time. They can use melee attacks and ranged attacks, but their ranged attacks, which consists of a projectile of green acid, are the most dangerous, and can kill the target instantly (or do 10-25 points of damage). When they are killed, they always drop a ankheg shell, weighing 100 lbs., and some random loot of high quality.
Baldur's Gate
They can appear in small groups of 2-5 or alone. Ankhegs can kill an entire low level party, or kill at least one member. Parties of level 3-4 can kill ankhegs, but only one or two in a battle. Parties of level 5-6 can handle groups of 3-5 ankhegs at the same time.
Locations
Baldur's Gate II
They appear in the Windspear Hills area, but they can only be found alone. They no longer are such a threat to the party as they were in Baldur's Gate.
A nest of six corrupted ankhegs can be found to the east of the great tree by some glowing crystals at the bottom of Resurrection Gorge during Dorn Il-Khan's quest.Template:BG:EE
Tactics
Tactic One
You need at least two warriors with a lot of hitpoints and good weapons & armor. They will fight the ankhegs in melee combat. The other group members use ranged attacks and it might be handy to have a lvl 5 mage who is able to cast Chromatic Orb, which can stun the target for three rounds. You also need someone who can take the shells. Minsc has a carrying capacity of 320 lbs. Shar-Teel can help, too, with her Strength of 18/52. Alternatively, you can create a protagonist who can carry lot of weight (valid only for fighter-like classes that have Strength with bonus ie. 18/xx). You can also obtain the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, they raise the Strength of the user to 18/00 and carrying capacity of 400 lbs.
Tactic Two
Use Magic Missile repeatedly. It's recommended that Edwin do this, combined with Tactic One.
Tactic Three:
Command-Cleric Spell [level one] works very well if you can deal sufficient damage quickly. Blindness, a wizard spell [level one] works well and is longer lasting. Sleep, a wizard spell [level one] works OK-@50% success rate. Note: best to delay half a turn (1) before casting as the ankheg wil be unaffected if it is underground when spell resolves.
(1)(author might have meant a round here, 1 turn=10 rounds and during 5 rounds an ankheg can deal massive damage- and receive massive damage too)
Tactic Four: Staff tactics (wand)
Wand of the Heavens (cleric and druid only) Wand of Frost (mages and possibly bards) Also Note: Wand of Sleep is useable by all classes. Lightning wand will help too. Wand of Frost is not really recommended if you want to capture the shell - freezing effect may shatter the corpse to pieces.
Tactic Five:
Animate Dead or Monster Summoning can also help negate the deadly breath attacks. Trying the Protection from Acid scroll could also be useful.