Empire of the Ants: Comprehensive Guide to Nest Upgrades and Top Choices

Empire of the Ants: Comprehensive Guide to Nest Upgrades and Top Choices

Strategically upgrading your Nest in Empire of the Ants is essential for safeguarding your colony and enhancing its dominance across diverse terrains. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of all available Nest upgrades in the game, detailing their functions and advantages for your insect army.

Comprehensive List of Nest Upgrades in Empire of the Ants

We’ve categorized all possible Nest upgrades by tier, along with the benefits they confer to you and your legion of insects.

Top Defense Upgrades

When planning your defense upgrades, consider the priorities of your missions and the proximity of enemy nests. If a Nest is situated far from conflict (and is not your Headquarters), immediate defenses may not be a priority, allowing you to allocate resources towards more vulnerable nests.

To reinforce your defenses effectively, begin with Wood Barrier and Nest Gunners. These upgrades will provide essential time for your legions to respond to invaders. If resources allow, further enhancing these to Slime Reserves and Veteran Nest Gunners is recommended.

However, do keep in mind that the cost for fortifying each Nest increases with every upgrade, making subsequent barriers more resource-intensive.

Upgrade Tier Cost Benefits
Wood Barrier I 60 x Wood Establishes a barrier requiring destruction before any damage occurs (Cost increases by 30 Wood for each additional barrier).
Nest Gunners I 40 x Wood Deploys gunner ants as acid turrets to defend the Nest.
Acid Gland Evolution II 20 x Wood Enhances gunners’ firing range by 25%.
Veteran Nest Guards II 40 x Wood Deploys veteran guards for defense.
Slime Reserves II 60 x Wood Increases the wood barrier’s effectiveness, offering a 20% protection boost to nearby legions.
Veteran Nest Gunners II 60 x Wood Mobilizes veteran gunners to defend the Nest with enhanced capabilities.
Elite Nest Guards III 60 x Wood Deploys elite guards for superior defense.
Elite Nest Gunners III 80 x Wood Activates elite gunners, providing advanced protection.
Frenzy Catalyst III 80 x Wood Enhances barriers that trap attacking legions until destroyed.

Essential Legion Upgrades

Upgrading your legions is paramount for amplifying your army of ants and confronting adversaries like termites and black ants. The initial focus should be on establishing both a Warrior and Gunner legion, upgrading them as needed based on enemy difficulty. Consider adding Super Predator legions (available at Tier 2) to strengthen your forces against all types of opponents.

For supportive structures, Snails provide an excellent advantage by slowing down adversarial units, while Aphids offer limited support due to their vulnerability. Aim to create a balanced setup depending on the resources available in your vicinity.

Upgrade Tier Cost Benefits Provided
Workers (Melee Unit) I 20 x Food + 2 Chambers Creates a worker legion for gathering and transporting resources (loses supplies in combat).
Gunners (Ranged Unit) I 20 x Food + 2 Chambers Creates a gunner legion capable of ranged attacks without engaging in close combat.
Warriors (Melee Unit) I 20 x Food Deploys a warrior force for frontline combat (strong against workers).
Aphids (Support) I 20 x Food + 1 Chamber Forms an aphid horde to reinforce nearby legions.
Snail (Support) I 20 x Food + 1 Chamber Provides protection and a damage shield for associated legions.
Rhino Beetles (Support) I 20 x Food + 1 Chamber Used for transporting multiple legions over distances (not effective in combat).
Veteran Workers (Melee Unit) II 40 x Food + 2 Chambers Boosts the capacity of worker legions for resource gathering.
Veteran Gunners (Ranged Unit) II 40 x Food + 2 Chambers Enhances gunner capacity for ranged combat effectiveness.
Dor Beetles (Super Predator) II 50 x Food + 3 Chambers Creates a dor beetle horde that can trap enemy legions in battle.
Elite Workers (Melee Unit) III 60 x Food + 2 Chambers Strengthens worker legions without loss during combat.
Elite Gunners (Ranged Unit) III 60 x Food + 2 Chambers Creates elite gunners to hinder enemy movements.

Key Information Upgrades

Information upgrades serve as vital intelligence tools that grant you insight about enemy movements and positions. One of the first upgrades to consider is Cartographers, as it reveals the entire mission map.

Other valuable upgrades include Sharp Antennae for extended scouting capabilities and Counterspies to conceal your legions in hostile territories. Although other options exist, focusing your resources on these essential upgrades is advised.

Upgrade Tier Cost Benefits Provided
Cartographers I 30 x Wood + 2 Chambers Shows all nests and enemy legions on a minimap.
Activity Alert I 30 x Wood + 1 Chamber Alerts you to enemy activity around your nests and foraging sites.
Scout Training I 30 x Food + 1 Chamber Enhances maximum stamina and health by 50%.
Sharp Antennae I 30 x Food Increases detection range to spot enemies from further away.
Veteran Cartographers II 40 x Wood + 2 Chambers Color-codes the map for controlled, contested, and enemy regions.
Traitors II 40 x Wood + 1 Chamber Exposes upgrades and legion statuses in enemy nests.
Counterspies III 40 x Wood Hides your legions in the specified region.
Elite Cartographers III 70 x Wood + 2 Chambers Displays detailed locations of enemy movements in your controlled territories.
Infiltrators III 70 x Wood + 1 Chamber Reveals enemy nest positions in controlled regions.

Crucial Economy Upgrades

Economy upgrades are vital for virtually every mission. The Woodyard and Mushroom Farm provide continuous resource generation, while Storage Expansion enhances your resource capacity.

Additionally, the Chemical Laboratory is essential for unlocking Tier 2 upgrades, and Chemical Library unlocks Tier 3 upgrades, granting access to advanced legions and capabilities. However, consider that upgrades like Salvage may not be beneficial in every scenario due to their nature.

Upgrade Tier Cost Benefits Provided
Woodyard I 20 x Wood + 1 Chamber Generates 10 x Wood per minute (cost increases by 20 for each additional Woodyard).
Mushroom Farm I 20 x Wood + 1 Chamber Generates 10 x Food per minute (cost increases by 20 for each additional Mushroom Farm).
Storage Expansion I 30 x Wood + 1 Chamber Increases maximum Food and Wood storage capacity by 100.
Chemical Laboratory I 80 x Food + 80 x Wood + 2 Chambers Unlocks superior tier upgrades.
Salvage II 40 x Wood + 1 Chamber Provides a 50% refund when dismantling a chamber.
Multitude II 60 x Wood + 1 Chamber Increases maximum legion capacity by one.
Pheromone Reserves II 60 x Wood + 2 Chambers Reduces power cooldowns by 30%.
Nursery II 100 x Wood + 2 Chambers Decreases recovery food costs for legions by 30%.
Chemical Library II 120 x Food + 120 x Wood + 2 Chambers Unlocks advanced tier upgrades.
Swarm III 80 x Wood + 1 Chamber Expands maximum legion command capacity by one.

Powerful Powers Upgrades

These upgrades enhance your character’s capabilities while bolstering your legions. Many of these upgrades offer potent buffs to your forces, facilitating efficient combat responses.

Consider acquiring Dash Pheromones to enable rapid movement and intercept enemies promptly. Rage Pheromones increase attack damage temporarily, optimizing your chances of successful engagements. Shielding Spores can also be invaluable, providing a protective barrier that allows your legions to endure in extended battles.

Upgrade Tier Cost Benefits Provided
Dash Pheromones I 20 x Food + 2 Chambers Increases legion movement speed by 80% for 12 seconds per charge.
Rage Pheromones I 20 x Food + 2 Chambers Boosts damage output by 30% for 30 seconds per charge.
Shielding Spores I 20 x Food + 2 Chambers Provides a protective shield equal to 30% of the legion’s health.
Reinforcement Call I 20 x Food + 2 Chambers Summons reinforcements to heal depleted legions over 30 seconds.
Reinforcement Call II 30 x Food + 2 Chambers Improves the healing speed for legions over 15 seconds.
Dash Pheromones II 30 x Food + 2 Chambers Increases legion speed to 100% for 16 seconds.
Rage Pheromones II 30 x Food + 2 Chambers Enhances damage output to 50% for 30 seconds.
Shielding Spores II 30 x Food + 2 Chambers Increases protective shield to 60% of the legion’s health.
Rage Pheromones III 40 x Food + 2 Chambers Boosts damage output to 70% for a duration of 30 seconds.
Dash Pheromones III 40 x Food + 2 Chambers Increases speed to 120% for 20 seconds.
Shielding Spores III 40 x Food + 2 Chambers Grants a 90% shield based on the legion’s health.
Reinforcement Call III 40 x Food + 2 Chambers Heals legions slightly over a reduced timeframe of 10 seconds.

Related Articles:

Complete Guide to All Legions and Upgrades in Empire of the Ants
Unlocking the Complete Bestiary in Empire of the Ants Guide

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