History Main / DigAttack

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2709 SCP-2709 ("Can Anyone Hear You Scream?")]]. SCP-2709-1 is a huge antlion that digs and lives in underground tunnels. It attacks human beings by collapsing the ground under their feet and eating them.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': During the Chunin Exam arc, Naruto dives into a hole in the field left from earlier in the battle and distracts his opponent Neji with a shadow {{Doppelganger}}, then emerges from the ground beneath Neji and decks him with a haymaker to the jaw.

** Akantor can burrow underground and reappear elsewhere. Although it ''is'' used offensively, it is more often used to put a fair distance between itself and Hunters to make the Hunters easy targets for its devastating Sonic Blast attack.
** Zamtrios can sometimes burrow into the ground/underwater and then drill up under a Hunter's feet. It's particularly aggravating because right before it emerges, it creates tremors that disrupt Hunters, which lowers their chances of getting out of the way.

* The ''Series/TimeTeam'' episode "Bridgenorth Castle" descibes how, in real-life, merely the threat of a Dig Attack could be a winning move. The attackers dug a tunnel underneath the castle, which the besieged defenders could hear being dug, and because there was no way to counter-attack they had to surrender or face being exploded by gunpowder placed there. They surrendered.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The move Dig is a 2-turn attack that starts with the user digging underground and for the most part safe from any attack the opponent will do, then attacks on the next turn. Moves like Magnitude, Earthquake, and Fissure, along with [[AlwaysAccurateAttack moves that don't miss]] (depending on the generation), can hit a Pokemon using Dig. The first two will even deal double damage for doing so.

*** The Apocalisk has one of the greatest examples of the power of Zerg exploding from beneath your feet. Not only does the Apocalisk have the ability to use the above burrow effect to greater potential due to its sheer size, but when called from the center of a cluster of enemies it bursts from the ground and deals an extensively large amount of initial damage before tearing through everything around it.
** Roaches and Infestors can move around while buried. They can't attack, but the Roach heals a lot faster, while the Infestor can still create Infested Marines while underground. Banelings had the ability to do so as well, but was removed.
** The Widow Mine is a unit introduced in the ''VideoGame/HeartOfTheSwarm'' chapter. Mobile-mode can reversibly burrow, becoming immobile, impossible to target without use of detection, as well as gaining ability to attack any nearby enemies with high, AreaOfEffect damage. The drawbacks are lock-on activation lag and attack {{cooldown}}, but still it is available at low tech level and complements strategies heavy on mechanical units.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'', Grizzly Slash starts abusing this when he TurnsRed. He can either come out of the ground and does a drill attack or come out of the sides of the cave and slashes you with his claw.

* In ''VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn'', rockbreakers are huge [[BuffySpeak mole...worm...machine things]]. Aloy's likely first encounter with a rockbreaker happens when some Carja ask her to investigate tremors coming from a nearby quarry, causing an impromptu BossFight where the rockbreaker will repeatedly go underground and launch itself back up until you [[SubsystemDamage destroy its' digging claws]].
* Megalon, the ''Creator/{{Toho}}'' TunnelKing, can dig beneath the surface to the enemy {{Kaiju}} and pop up for a not-so-sneak attack in ''[[VideoGame/PipeworksGodzillaTrilogy Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee!]]''. Digging however requires energy from a meter that acts both as a stamina and mana bar; digging too much and Megalon is forced to the surface to try and catch his breath after exhausting himself.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'': The miniboss of the Moonlit Grotto in Oracle of Ages is a mole with a drill nose that attacks from underneath (and is invincible while doing so). You defeat it by digging up its Worm Sign with the shovel and hitting it as it flops around.

* In VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn, rockbreakers are huge [[BuffySpeak mole...worm...machine things]]. Aloy's likely first encounter with a rockbreaker happens when some Carja ask her to investigate tremors coming from a nearby quarry, causing an impromptu BossFight where the rockbreaker will repeatedly go underground and launch itself back up until you [[SubsystemDamage destroy its' digging claws]].

An attack that a MoleMonster can use on targets. Opponents are at the mercy of such an attack if they [[InvulnerableAttack have no way of hitting the user underground]] and have to wait until the user breaches from the surface. May involve FastTunnelling and WormSign.

* During the Chunin Exam arc in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Naruto dives into a hole in the field left from earlier in the battle and distracts his opponent Neji with a shadow {{Doppelganger}}, then emerges from the ground beneath Neji and decks him with a haymaker to the jaw.

* In ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' storyline ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} dodges ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'s Omega Beams by burying herself underground. Then she bursts out right below Darkseid, grabs him and body slams him back into the ground in quick succession.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' storyline ''ComicBook/LastDaughterOfKrypton'' provides one example. During their battle with the Worldkillers, Kara suddenly feels the ground beneath her feet shaking. One second later, Deimax bursts out of the ground, hoisting a subway car which he hurls at Kara.

** TabletopGame/{{Mystara}} ''Monstrous Compendium Appendix''. The caecillia is a 30 foot long worm that lurks under loose soil. When a creature approaches, it surfaces and attacks it.

* The Tyranid Trygon from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has the ability to dig underground and execute a devastating attack on the troops above it as it surfaces.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/Dune2021 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dune_sandworm_size_fan_concept_art.jpg]]]]

*** Earth elemental beasts can move as quickly and easily through earth as most creatures can move through the air. They like to hide below the surface of the ground and erupt through to attack their victim with total surprise.

* The miniboss of the Moonlit Grotto in ''VideoGame/OracleOfAges'' is a mole with a drill nose that attacks from underneath (and is invincible while doing so). You defeat it by digging up its WormSign with the shovel and hitting it as it flops around.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX 5'', Grizzly Slash starts abusing this when he TurnsRed. He can either come out of the ground and does a drill attack or come out of the sides of the cave and slashes you with his claw.

An attack that a MoleMonster can use on targets. Opponents are at the mercy of such an attack if they have no way of hitting the user underground and have to wait until the user breaches from the surface. May involve FastTunnelling and WormSign.

An attack that a MoleMonter can use on targets. Opponents are at the mercy of such an attack if they have no way of hitting the user underground and have to wait until the user breaches from the surface. May involve FastTunnelling and WormSign.

An attack that a TunnelKing can use on targets. Opponents are at the mercy of such an attack if they have no way of hitting the user underground and have to wait until the user breaches from the surface. May involve FastTunnelling and WormSign.

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/{{Tremors}}''
** The Graboids' standard attack is to burrow underneath their human/animal prey, grab them with their tentacles and pull them underground (and into their mouths to be eaten).
** The Graboids can attack vehicles resting on the surface by digging under them (dropping them underground) or bursting their tires. They have also been known to dig underground tunnels near the surface in a vehicle's path to trap it.
* ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|1980}}'': While Flash is escaping from Prince Barin he's attacked by a monster living under the ground. It grabs him with its legs and expands around him, capturing him and trying to eat him.

[[folder:Literature]]
* Played straight in Tolkien's Middle Earth, and for humour in Pratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', it is hinted that this is how Dwarfs carry out war underground. Dwarf war appears to consist in aggressive mining, digging and listening for the other side's tunnels and shafts, and breaking through either to launch direct assaults or else to sneakily undermine and collapse enemy delvings.
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. In the original novel, a SandWorm traveling beneath the sand moves under a spice harvester and sucks it underground by creating a giant sand whirlpool.
-->"The worm is now beneath the crawler," Kynes said. "You are about to witness a thing few have seen."
-->Flecks of dust shadowed the sand around the crawler now. The big machine began to tip down to the right. A gigantic sand whirlpool began forming there to the right of the crawler. It moved faster and faster. Sand and dust filled the air now for hundreds of meters around.
-->A wide hole emerged from the sand. Sunlight flashed from glistening white spokes within it. The hole's diameter was at least twice the length of the crawler, Paul estimated. He watched as the machine slid into that opening in a billow of dust and sand.
* Creator/RichardAdams's ''Literature/WatershipDown'' has TheLancer Bigwig hide in a hollow in one of the rabbit tunnels, then be covered in dirt. When the BigBad General Woundwort comes to recapture his females, his forefeet sink into the hollow. This signals Bigwig to spring at him, catching Woundwort off-balance and with poor leverage. This tactic is faithfully depicted in Nepenthe Productions' AnimatedAdaptation.
* Discussed in one of the Literature/{{Gor}} books, where the tactics of mining under a city's walls, and counter-mining are talked about in a digression by the narrator.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury'' episode "Unchained Woman". As Buck and his fellow prison escapee Jen Burton are trekking across a desert, Jen is attacked by an underground monster that uses a tentacle to pull her into its clutches.
* The ''Series/TimeTeam'' episode "Bridgenorth Castle" descibes how, in real-life, merely the threat of a Dig Attack could be a winning move. The attackers dug a tunnel underneath the castle, which the besieged defenders could hear being dug, and because there was no way to counter-attack they had to surrender or face being exploded by gunpowder placed there. They surrendered.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Creator/HalFoster's ''ComicStrip/PrinceValiant'' has shown Viking raiders breeching the walls of Camelot by digging tunnels beneath the walls, and installing wooden support beams to control the load. When the tunnel has extended completely past the wall, the support beams are ignited. Once the supports fail, the ground above sinks, collapsing a large part of the stone wall with it. These failure gaps allow the Vikings to launch attack forays into the interior of Camelot. TruthInTelevision, as this has been a known and proven assault technique since ancient times.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun: The Lost Age'' where the Scorpion King is found wandering the desert under the sand needs to be forced aboveground by pounding wooden stakes into its path.

* In ''VideoGame/HeavyWeapon'', this is used by the [[SandWorm Mechworm]] boss. Fail to avoid the {{Wormsign}} in time and he will pop up under the player, and [[CollisionDamage touching him is an]] [[OneHitKill instant-death regardless of shields]].

* In VideoGame/{{Germination}}, the slam attack sends you drilling through the planet and popping out of the other side.

* ''MegaManAndBass'': Ground Man can sometimes go into the ceiling of the cave he's in and attack you with large drills from above.

* ''Franchise/{{Starcraft}}''