Step 1: Grade the acne first. Nodulocystic acne sits at the top of the severity scale, with painful deep cysts and nodules that leave scars and shrug off ordinary therapy.
Step 2: The agent that controls this severe grade is oral isotretinoin, a vitamin A derivative. It tackles all four drivers of acne at once - it dries up the oil glands, cuts sebum, smooths the blocked follicle lining and lowers the acne bacteria.
Step 3: The other choices fall short. Erythromycin and tetracycline only handle milder inflammatory acne, and corticosteroids have no role as the standard treatment of plain acne.
Step 4: So nodulocystic acne is treated with isotretinoin, remembering its strong teratogenic risk that mandates pregnancy precautions.
\[\boxed{\text{Isotretinoin (Retinoic acid)}}\]