Stuck in Derelict Distillery in front of key

[Nooberix]

Well, I somehow got stuck right in front of the key a couple of times. I can see it, but it's behind a destroyable wall. I neither have the barrel launcher nor is there any enemy left next to the wall. There are a couple of barrel dispensers below, each with a door in front of it. And one dispenser on the same level, but the barrel from there just falls down, hitting it from the side is not enough to make it move against the wall. There are a few liftable platforms in the room, but they don't move high enough.

What to I miss? It seems I need the key to finish the level, but without the barrel launcher, at some point I just get killed by the barrels. Should the launcher be available in every run?

[Terminus_X]

The launcher is available in every run I believe? There should be a path from near the entrance hub that leads straight to one every time? You can't recycle that one either, so it's almost impossible to lose? Can you back track far enough to check?

[Nooberix]

Well, I died, but good to know that there should be one and where to look for. I found one in my first runs in the distillery but did not remember, where.

[Terminus_X]

Usually it's the nearest one to the entrance to the level, often below. But don't take that as gospel, make sure to have a look about!

[Varyn [GER]]

In case you didnt know: The Homunculus rune (your head) can grab barrels and transport them whereever you like =)
The Barrel Launcher should be a guaranteed spawn in distillery nonetheless.

[Geomancer]

There are situations where you can get stuck. I just had one where the nearest barrel spawner to the key door was below a platform, which was accessed by two long chains. The launcher spit itself down the chain, so no way to get a barrel or enemy up there without the launcher. I missed the launcher on the way in and was 100% stuck from returning due to a terrain trap with multiple barrels falling down a skinny tunnel you had to wall jump back up

[JHarlequin]

As they said, you should be able to go back though you have to get passed traps until you find a portal. So if you didn't recycle the launcher, it should still be there, or somewhere in the level.

As for if a barrel is dropping down between chains, if you have your homonculous rune, which I believe you usually will have before you can access distillery, then you just need to launch out to catch the barrel and grab the chain before your head falls too far. If you have the range right, you can just carry it to the destructible wall, otherwise, just make sure you are aimed the right direction and reattach your head to throw the barrel whichever way you need it to go.

As there is the option to recycle the launcher, and they intend for you to be able to complete without the launcher every time you go to the distillery, it is probable that the general layouts will have at least one trap chute within range in some way of the walls that you need to destroy. It won't be easy, but it shouldn't be soft locked.

That said, if you ever feel it is soft locked, write down the seed, take screenshots and submit it as an issue. They like fixing things that are broken.

[Geomancer]

Originally posted by JHarlequin:

if you have your homonculous rune, which I believe you usually will have before you can access distillery, then you just need to launch out to catch the barrel and grab the chain before your head falls too far. ...

That said, if you ever feel it is soft locked, write down the seed, take screenshots and submit it as an issue. They like fixing things that are broken.

This particular orientation was not possible to bring the barrel back up with the head after catching it, but oh well. I'll have to remember to get the seed next time