Fire Ant

Information
Common name	Red imported fire ant
Scientific name	Solenopsis invicta
Environment	Swamp
Castes	Queen Worker Soldier
Traits	Floating bridge Damage buff Resistance buff Speed buff Aquatic
Playable colony	Yes

Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are playable in story levels, extra levels and custom games.

Abilities

Fire ants use basic attack by biting. They can sting.

Fire ants don't use basic attack while mounting. They latch on and sting instead.

Each brood tile can hold 2 fire ant soldiers at level 3, but it can only incubate one ant at a time. You must choose either pervasive or vigorous soldiers before playing a mission.

• Pervasive soldiers can be spawned without requiring food if they have been incubated for 90 seconds. Affected tiles have yellow glitter.

• Vigorous soldiers can inflict more damage, reduce incoming damage and move more quickly after they are spawned. Affected ants have orange trail.

In the main story, you can unlock fire ant soldiers for your gene-thief ant colony using Royal Jelly.

Bridge building

Fire ants can move across open water by building bridges using their own bodies. They can only be built at designated notches on the ground near the water's edge. Place pheromone markers anywhere on the further bank to make a bridge. Fire ants in the respective pheromone groups will automatically build bridges to get there if it is the shortest path. It takes fewer units to build a bridge if the units are larger.

Place pheromone markers anywhere on the nearer bank to disassemble a bridge. Fire ants from the respective pheromone groups will move away from the bridge to the new locations. The respective bridge won't be disassembled if there is still a pheromone marker on the further bank.

Bridges will be disassembled when water level changes. Ants which are caught in the water will be washed away. Ants which land on the ground will find other ways to reach their destinations. Ants which can't find a way to return to the nest will panic and quickly die.

If any fire ants are dead while they are forming a bridge, the respective bridge is automatically disassembled and all ants return to the nest. Ants which are trapped on the further bank will stay calm and help form a new bridge on their way back.

Fire ant soldiers as gene-thief ant units can also build bridges and let other ants from the same colony traverse.

Appearances

Fire ants are playable as complete colonies in:

• Cold Blood (either)

• A Bridge Too Far (either)

• New Year's Feast (no soldier)

• The Promised Land (vigorous - no level 3)

Fire ant soldiers are playable units in:

• The Final Experiment (either)

• Tug of War 2 (pervasive)

Fire ants are enemies in:

• Tug of War 2

Notable stats

Fire ant queen

Common stats	Health: 500 Score: 600 Healing speed: 1
Damage modifications	Physical resistance: 50% Venom resistance: 50% Maximum taken damage: 25
Immunities	Immune to stun/ confusion/ fleeing Immune to pickup/ execution/ knockback

File:Fire worker icon.png Fire ant worker

Common stats	Cost: 20/ 2 Health: 15/ 25/ 35 Movement speed: 300/ 340/ 380 Score: 5/ 8/ 12 Harvest amount: 15/ 15/ 15 Healing speed: 0.1/ 0.1/ 0.1 Vision radius: 400/ 400/ 400
Damage modifications	None
Immunities	None
Basic attack	Damage (physical): 0.8/ 1/ 1.2 Attack speed: 1/ 1/ 1
Sting	Damage (venom): 2/ 2.5/ 3 Cooldown: 2/ 2/ 2
Mount	Trigger: User is mounting an enemy. Damage (venom): 10/ 10/ 10 Attack speed: 1/ 1/ 1

File:Fire soldier icon.png Fire ant soldier

Common stats	Cost: 40/ 4 Health: 30/ 45/ 50 Movement speed: 320/ 320/ 320 Score: 7/ 10/ 11 Harvest amount: 15/ 15/ 15 Healing speed: 0.1/ 0.1/ 0.1 Vision radius: 400/ 400/ 400
Damage modifications	Venom resistance: 10%/ 10%/ 10%
Immunities	None
Basic attack	Damage (physical): 1.5/ 2/ 2.2 Attack speed: 1/ 1/ 1
Sting	Damage (venom): 7/ 10/ 11 Cooldown: 2/ 2/ 2
Mount	Damage (venom): 10/ 10/ 10 Attack speed: 1/ 1/ 1
Buff (vigorous)		Buff Damage: + 50%/ + 50%/ + 50% Movement speed: + 40%/ + 40%/ + 40% Physical resistance: + 25%/ + 25%/ + 25% Venom resistance: + 25%/ + 25%/ + 25% Duration: 120/ 120/ 120

File:Fire soldier icon.png Fire ant soldier

Common stats	Cost: 40/ 4 Health: 30/ 45/ 50 Movement speed: 320/ 320/ 320 Score: 7/ 10/ 11 Harvest amount: 15/ 15/ 15 Healing speed: 0.1/ 0.1/ 0.1 Vision radius: 400/ 400/ 400
Damage modifications	Venom resistance: 10%/ 10%/ 10%
Immunities	None
Basic attack	Damage (physical): 1.5/ 2/ 2.2 Attack speed: 1/ 1/ 1
Sting	Damage (venom): 7/ 10/ 11 Cooldown: 2/ 2/ 2
Mount	Damage (venom): 10/ 10/ 10 Attack speed: 1/ 1/ 1
Buff (vigorous)		Buff Damage: + 50%/ + 50%/ + 50% Movement speed: + 40%/ + 40%/ + 40% Physical resistance: + 25%/ + 25%/ + 25% Venom resistance: + 25%/ + 25%/ + 25% Duration: 120/ 120/ 120

Trivia

• Fire ant bridges were the rewards for reaching the 2nd kickstarter stretch goal (£15000).

• In real life, fire ants can gaster-flag. The developers only let fire ants flag their gasters when they are idling to focus on their stinging gimmick.