Scientist IV

criteria

*"Attempt modifying the portal to harvest resources when travelling. Until you perfect the technique, you will start with **70** science but will be unable to research or hire scientists. Choose your upgrades wisely! Clearing **'The Block' (11)** with this challenge active will cause you to earn double prestige drops from each map, and the ability to auto purchase upgrades each time you use your portal."*

**Note**: More general information about the Scientist challenges can be found here.

Unlocked by reaching zone 110, the Scientist challenge becomes available for completion. The player starts with **70 science**.

## Rules

Gaining research points is fully disabled. The player can't work on science, and Trimps can't be assigned as scientists.

The player is limited to an amount of science total until the completion of the challenge. There is absolutely no way to gain additional science until the challenge is completed. Once the challenge is completed, all of the disabled functionality is unlocked, and scientists are unlocked again as a possible job, as well as missing Speedscience awarded.

## Rewards

### Warpstations skip building queue

All Warpstations that would normally put into the queue are instantly built, regardless of number being built, whether the player is actively building or if there are buildings already in the queue.

### Auto Prestige

After completing the challenge, Auto Prestige will now be available.

### Double Prestige from maps

Once Scientist IV is completed a permanent rule is added to equipment prestige drops.

All maps which would drop prestiges of an odd tier will also drop the next tier at the same time (dropping two prestiges at once).

Below is a table of the first few selected tiers dropping rules, before and after Scientist IV (tier 2 not included, as that is automatically dropped as a reward from Scientist II.

Before Scientist IV
 16-20
 21-25
 26-30
 31-35
 36-40

## Strategy

Anticipation and Pheromones are not needed for this run, and should be sold before entering the portal.

For active play, purchase Battle and Miners. Purchase enough rank 1 equipment to raise your health to the minimum required to complete The Block. If necessary, run Metal maps, but note that prestiges are impossible due to their science cost.

For idle play, the player can purchase Battle and Bloodlust, provided you can reach Zone 6.

Holding down "F" will automatically send trimps into battle, if you choose not to get bloodlust.

If you want to respec during the Scientist run, you can remove the following perks once you reach zone 6: Bait, Packrat, Motivation, Trumps, and Meditation. These perks are not helpful in a science-limited early game run, or are otherwise overshadowed by a better option. If necessary, you could also remove Carpentry, although that can slow down the transition from Zone 11 to 20.

## Trivia

* Before patch 3.3 Scientist IV would unlock Auto Upgrade, Auto Prestige and double prestige from maps. Now, Auto Upgrade comes from breaking the planet, and Scientist IV now makes building Warpstations skip building queue.
* Scientist IV just drops the current tier +1. Certain fringe cases exist where Scientist IV will drop the even prestige tier and then the next odd tier grouped in with it. For example, obtaining tier 3 prestige upgrades before running the block makes the next drop for those tier 4, which will have T5 bundled it. This also happens immediately after completing the slow challenge, as the first prestige tier to drop is T2.