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. |
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