How to save Laszlo [GOOD ENDING]

Overview

This guide will help you save Laszlo in HL2 Chapter 8: Sandtraps.

Introduction / What You’ll Need

The entirety of this guide takes place in Chapter 8: Sandtraps, taking place on the map d2_coast_11 in the area after you drop the buggy off at the resistance camp. After destroying the dropships from atop the lighthouse, one of the rebels will take you down to a secret cliffside path to continue your journey.

It is here that you will come across the eponymous Laszlo and his decidedly less important friend Sandy trapped in an unfortunate position, during Antlion[half-life.fandom.com] spawning season no less.

On their way to get some bugbait from the nearby Vortigaunt Camp, the two were attacked by the antlions leaving poor Laszlo [half-life.fandom.com]severely wounded and unable to move. Fortunately, the antlions lost track of them as they are a blind species.

I would seriously recommend bringing some explosives to this encounter, as the antlion swarm can be tricky to take out one at a time. If you are out of explosives, the lighthouse has a stockade of RPG ammo on the top floor. If you have already dropped down to the cliffside area, I would reload an older save.

Saving Laszlo

This sequence of events happens very fast, and may even catch you off guard your first time. Assuming you haven’t approached Laszlo and Sandy yet, you should save your game in case anything goes wrong.

==DO NOT STEP ON THE SAND==
You want as much time to prepare yourself as humanly possible. Stepping on the sand will summon the antlions immediately. You can stand on the nearby rocks without fear.

Laszlo(left) and Sandy(right) just before the 2nd antlion ambush.

After a few moments, Laszlo will succumb to his wounds and will understandably have to move. But thankfully you’re prepared, as soon as he moves, pull out the RPG or SMG to hit the antlions as soon as you can see them. Three of them spawn right on top of Laszlo which need to be taken out first.

Don’t worry, Laszlo can take the hit.

The last one will spawn slightly farther back, which is the real threat here, you can quickly switch to your shotgun for a quick kill on the last one. it’s only a matter of practicing switching out your weapons, you should be able to take them all out after a few reloads.

More skilled players might be able to take the first three out with a well timed grenade, summon the antlions sooner, or even take out all the antlions in one explosive.

Video credit to SuperCityscan.

The Legacy of Laszlo

If you have preformed this maneuver correctly, the antlions will die and Laszlo will survive. But you may have also noticed that Laszlo dies after a few moments anyways.

Laszlo is scripted to die even if the antlions are dispatched. The wounds from the earlier antlion attack were his unfortunate downfall. Perhaps if Sandy was as prepared as you were, he could have saved Laszlo sooner. but at least you can rest easy knowing you did everything you could to help preserve the greatest mind of his generation.

λ