Swarm and Colony

This page shows the mechanics of swarm creatures and colonies.

Swarm creatures

Mechanics

You can only play with swarm creatures in a few extra missions. They don't form trails while moving around. Swarm creatures come from spawners or underground caverns.

Ants and termites have their own swarm variants. Swarm queens can move around but can't lay eggs. Swarm workers and swarm soldiers can't gather aphids, mount enemies or build floating bridges. In this wiki, if not specifically mentioned, swarm ants and swarm termites will always consist of soldiers at any levels.

Underground creatures

Active creatures show themselves in the excavated section of the underground area. Hidden creatures in underground caverns are represented by symbols on the black soil. You can estimate the strength of the respective hidden creatures through the size of their symbols.

Hidden creatures can move through the soil in and connect underground caverns. Connected caverns will be excavated at once when you dig into the tunnel system and residing creatures will be released in your nest.

Active creatures either immediately move toward your queen if they are aggressive or wander about if they are friendly. Some creatures can excavate in your nest and even break indestructible walls to expose your queen or to release more hidden creatures in your nest.

Surface creatures

The game controls swarm creatures with a patrol system, which is similar to your phermone system. It can place and remove swarm markers along some predetermined paths over time to make swarm creatures in the respective groups move across the map.

Surface creatures can follow their circadian rhythm in documentary missions and custom games. Nocturnal creatures only appear at night while diurnal creatures only appear during the day. Number of swarm creatures is usually predetermined while species and forms of swarm creatures are randomized from a list of options during each period of the day.

Swarm creatures don't exist anymore once they leave the map. The game will spawn new creatures with full health to maintain the illusion that the same swarm creatures have returned from hiding.

Powerscaling

Mechanics

Swarm creatures can be powerscaled. The extent of powerscaling is called star-level.

Powerscaled swarm creatures can only be as large as triple the original size. Their stats are multiplied corresponding to their star-level.

Health, damage and effect value are calculated based on the following formula. The respective creature is at star-level X.

Stat = original stat x [(X + 1)² x 0.1 + 0.9]

Damage reflection and knockback distance are calculated based on the following formula.

Stat = original stat x [(X + 1)² x 0.01 + 0.99]

Star-level is represented by a star with a corresponding number right next to it. Star-level above 13 is represented by a star with a plus symbol.

Appearances

You can encounter powerscaled swarm creatures in:

• Babysitting

• Occupation

• Adventure

• Occupation 2

• Festive Spider

Colonies

Mechanics

You can play with 9 different colonies in the entire game. If you choose to play with wood ants, leafcutter ants, fire ants or Matabele ants, you must pick either of the 2 variants.

You can only control a single colony in any missions or custom games. Non-player colonies use the same mechanics as you can but are controlled by the game. Every colony must be assigned to a number, a color and an underground area.

The respective colony is eliminated when its queen is dead. Tiles are deleted every 0.5 seconds and return 66% of the building cost. Refunds are modified to reward the victors: dead larvae, dead termites, leaves or lignocellulose.

Custom species

You can customize your own colonies in custom games and remix missions, as if they are gene-thief ants.

You must choose the base species at first. Queen, workers and food processing mechanics will follow your choice.

You can add any soldiers from the 21 options to your custom colonies. You can add formicarium adaptations to the suitable units but not minor improvements.

You can't add Matabele ant medics to custom leafcutter ant colonies.

Non-player-colonies

Behaviors

Non-player colonies in story missions and extra missions are designed to mimic their real-life counterparts. Nanitic workers are always kept inside to do nest jobs.

Non-player colonies check the surface for food and move gathering groups there.

• None: Non-player colonies simply follow instructions and can't respond to anything.

• Old system: Non-player colonies can only check predetermined locations. Gathering groups move to the most recently chosen locations if they can't find any food.

• New system: Non-player colonies can constantly and thoroughly scan their territories for food or danger and move pheromone groups accordingly. Gathering groups remain inside if they can't find any food.

Non-player colonies can only control up to 3 pheromone groups.

• Species with same-sized soldiers: Gathering groups consist of workers and soldiers. Attacking groups only consist of soldiers and usually join them to gather food on the surface.

• Species with different-sized soldiers: Gathering groups consist of workers and small soldiers. Attacking groups only consist of large soldiers and are usually kept the around the queen.

Gathering groups attack any enemies on the way when they are tasked with gathering food. Food gathering and attacking is disabled when they are tasked with gathering aphids.

Gathering groups will retreat inside after they have taken enough casualties. Attacking is disabled in the process.

Attacking groups are only deployed to invade your nest or to protect gathering groups. Gathering is disabled in the process and is only enabled during retreat.

Non-player colonies can only choose between attacking and retreating in tug-of-war missions. Gathering is always enabled.

Actual players are more decisive and responsive so non-player colonies always need headstart and occasional food receipt to stay threatening.

Nest designs

Non-player colonies can decide building order on their own. They can only build hexagon chambers and can't build highways. Nest design is predetermined.

Appearances

You can encounter non-player colonies in:

• Queen of the Hill (none)

• The Harvest (old)

• Possibly the Final Experiment (tug-of-war)

• Cold Blood (new)

• A Bridge Too Far (new)

• Triage (new)

• Drive Them Back (new)

• Last Mound Standing (new)

• Babysitting (none)

• The Other Foot (tug-of-war)

• Tug of War (tug-of-war)

• Hibernation (old)

• Adventure (old)

• Tug of War 2 (tug-of-war)

• Tug of War 3 (tug-of-war)

Trivia

(none)