Mutated zones

The **Mutated zones** occur in the Radon Universe after zone 200. Each zone has one or more Mutated enemies, which are more challenging than normal enemies, and which drop **Mutated Seeds** as well as some extra Radon.

Each zone (at first) has a specific type of Mutated enemy, which will appear in a specific pattern. Deeper zones may have multiple types of Mutated enemies, and the types may combine into **Super Mutations**.

The Mutated Seeds may be used to purchase **Mutators**, which are gameplay bonuses.

## Story

The messages which presage the Mutated zones begin in zone 160 of U2, with the introduction of Scruffy's brother Stuffy.

*Stuffy informs you that you're polluting the planet with all your smelting and forestry, and that he wants you to shut everything down and return to nature.*
Scruffy offers help by scouting ahead to study the upcoming Mutated zones, which he believes are Stuffy's work.

*... every Zone above Z200 seems to contain horribly mutated enemies. He says there's multiple different strains of Mutation up there, and that they can even potentially combine to make super Mutations.*
However, you put your fears aside.

*You sit down outside of your town and think about what Stuffy had said. Are you really destroying the planet? As you're thinking about it, a Trimp covered in beeimp stings walks up to you and with a dumb smile, hands you a mostly squished flower. You realize then that of course the Trimps are worth it, and that you'll do anything it takes to stop Stuffy.*
## Gameplay changes

All Radon gains above zone 200 are multiplied by 400. (The changelog incorrectly says 250.)

Each zone above 200 contains at least one type of Mutated enemy. The basic types are **Rage**, **Compression**, **Nova** and **Row Randomizer**. All Mutated enemies drop Mutated Seeds and Radon.

Rage enemies (first seen in zone 201) have extra attack power, but damaging them reduces their extra attack. They appear as single enemies, randomly spread through the first few cells of the zone.

Compression enemies (first seen in z202) appear in a sequence of adjacent tiles. The first enemy in the sequence has absorbed the stats of the enemies behind it, and will be extra strong. If you defeat this enemy, you'll automatically advance through the tiles behind it.

Nova enemies (first seen in z203) appear in a starburst pattern, with the enemy in the center being a radioactive source affecting the tiles around it. The center cell is weak, but debuffs your Trimps as it takes damage. The debuff lasts until the end of the current zone. The outer cells have extra attack but reduced health.

Row Randomizer enemies, also known as **Swapper** (first seen in z204), are out of position within the zone. The first Randomized Row you encounter will be stronger than expected, as it came from the deeper part of the zone; the second will be easier, as it came from the earlier part of the zone.

Each cell containing a Mutated enemy drops a number of Mutated Seeds according to this formula:

*seeds = (zone - 199) \* typeMulti \* dailyMulti \* scruffyMulti*

The *typeMulti* is usually 1 (*needs more study*). The *dailyMulti* is the Daily challenges multiplier, and the *scruffyMulti* is 10 if Scruffy's level 22 ability is unlocked, or 1 otherwise.

### Super Mutations

Starting at zone 251, multiple types of Mutations may occur in the same zone. If a cell is affected by two or more different Mutation types, the resulting enemy is a *super Mutation* (Scruffy's term) with all of the relevant Mutation powers combined.

Defeating a super Mutation grants the "Double Trouble" feat. Super Mutations also drop a larger number of Mutated Seeds.

### Mutation Mechanics

There are 4 **types** of Mutations. Each zone above 200 contains at least one of these types, as follows:

* Zone 201 contains Rage. The story explains this Mutation type.
* Zone 202 contains Compression (with story).
* Zone 203 contains Nova (with story).
* Zone 204 contains Randomized (with story).

At zone 205 or higher, the game rolls a random number from 1 to 4 to determine a Mutation type. At zone 251, a second random roll is performed; at 301, three rolls; and at 351, four rolls. Duplicate rolls are rendered impossible by the code. Therefore, you will always get the specified number of mutation types for each zone.

Once a zone's Mutation types are determined, heuristics are performed to determine which cells are **infected** with each Mutation. A given cell may have more than one Mutation type, resulting in super Mutations. Each Mutation type has its own infection pattern.

If a zone has Rage, the number of infected cells is **5 + (zone - 201)/5**, up to a maximum of 60. The infected cells will be spread across the first **cells/6 + 1** rows of the zone (maximum of 10 rows).

If a zone has Compression, the number of compressed regions is **1 + (zone - 201)/40**, up to a maximum of 6. If the Smashing Mutator(s) are owned, there is a 5% or 10% to get an extra compressed region. The length of each compressed region is **3 + (zone - 201)/100**, up to a maximum of 7.

If a zone has Nova, the number of starbursts is **1 + (zone - 201)/75**, up to a maximum of 3. If the Poppin Off Mutator is owned, there is a 5% chance to get an extra starburst. The size of each starburst (length of the arms) is **1 + (zone - 201)/100**, up to a maximum of 3.

If a zone has Randomized, the number of swapped row pairs is **1 + (zone - 201)/50**, up to a maximum of 4. Swaps always occur between one of the first 5 rows, and one of the last 5 rows.

The list of Mutations in a given cell determines its color and the prefix which is applied to the name of the imp who lives there. For example, a cell with Rage and Randomized has a purple color, and the prefix "Ragized".

## Mutators

Once you've reached zone 201 in U2, a new button will appear at the top of the Mastery tab. Clicking it changes the Mastery tab to a Mutators tab, which expands into a full-window interface page.

Buttons in the upper left corner (not pictured) let you toggle the Mutator names, or return to the Mastery display. The page may be clicked and dragged around, and zoomed in/out with the mouse scroll wheel (or with buttons in the lower right corner).

There are 4 "trees" of Mutators which can be purchased, with some Mutators being unlocked by earlier purchases. The trees are thematically tied to specific Mutation types, but they are all purchased with the same Mutated Seeds, regardless of which Mutated enemies were beaten to receive the Seeds.

Mutators in the second ring cannot be purchased until at least 10 Mutators have been purchased in the first ring.

**Green tree**:

* **Overkill**: 0.5% of your damage can Overkill 1 cell in U2, up to 30% of your Highest Zone Reached. U1 Masteries that increase Overkill do not apply in U2.
* **More Overkill**: You can Overkill in U2 for an additional 10% of your Highest Zone (up to 40%).
* **Mass Overkill**: You can Overkill in U2 for an additional 10% of your Highest Zone (up to 50%).
* **Decompress**: Compressed enemies gain 20% less attack and health from each cell they contain.
* **Max Overkill**: When Overkilling in U2, you can Overkill +1 cell.
* **Liquid**: Liquify U2 zones up to 10% of HZE.
* **Smashing**: +5% chance to spawn an extra Compressed cell.
* **Liquidier**: Liquify an extra 10% of HZE.
* **Waste Not**: Overkill zones begin after Liquification ends.

**Blue tree**:

* **Mazzy**: Gain an additional Map At Zone row in Universe 2.
* **Loot**: All non-Radon loot gained in U2 is increased by 50%.
* **Dusty**: Huffy earns 25% more Dust from all sources.
* **Row Siphon**: Cells in Randomized Rows drop 0.5 seconds of Food, Wood and Metal production on death per row number they were swapped with. For example, if you're fighting a cell on row 2 that has stats from row 9, you'll get 4.5 seconds of production per cell. Your Worshippers don't care about this mutated food but your other Trimps don't mind.
* **Siphonier**: Gain 50% more seconds of loot from Randomized Rows (0.75 seconds per row).
* **Dustier**: Huffy gains an additional 25% Dust from all sources.
* **Brains to Brawn**: Increase Trimp attack based on stored Science.
* **Runed**: Increases Runetrinket storage by 50%.
* **Mad Mapper**: You can overkill in maps of any level.

**Yellow tree**:

* **Scruffy**: Scruffy gains 30% more experience from all sources.
* **Nullifium**: Gain 10% more Nullifium when recycling Heirlooms.
* **Scruffva**: Scruffy gains 300% of the Zone's XP when you kill a primary Nova enemy.
* **Slowva**: When attacking a Nova enemy, take only one stack of blinded every 2 attacks.
* **Heirlots**: In U2 above Z201, gain a +5% chance to find your highest available Heirloom tier, and a -5% chance to find the lowest.
* **Praise the Light**: One Worshipper per zone changes its mind about leaving.
* **Heirmazing**: In U2, find all heirlooms at one reward tier higher than normal.
* **Poppin Off**: +5% chance to spawn an extra Nova.
* **Dedicated**: Worshippers no longer abandon Scruffy.

**Purple tree**:

* **Health**: Gain +50% Health in U2.
* **Unrage**: Raging cells start with 4x attack instead of 5x.
* **Attack**: Gain +50% Attack in U2.
* **Mutated Crit**: Gain +25% Crit Chance in U2.
* **Mutadon**: Gain 50% more Radon from U2 Mutations.
* **Mass Radon**: Gain +50% Radon in U2 above Z201.
* **Gene Health**: 10x health, 1/50 breed speed.
* **Gene Attack**: 10x attack, 1/50 breed speed.
* **Ragiffium**: Raging cells drop 5% of the Nu of the highest possible heirloom in your reward tier.

The first Mutator costs 300 Mutated Seeds, and each subsequent Mutator doubles the cost. There are 23 Mutators to purchase, for a total cost of 2,516,582,100 Mutated Seeds.

Mutators can be respecced (cleared, with all Mutated Seeds being refunded) during your Portal, but not in the middle of a run. This respec has no cost, and will cause you to be dropped directly into the Mutator interface screen when your next Portal begins.

## History

* The **Mutated zones**, and the Story messages leading up to them, were added in the 5.8.0 patch. This version included 23 Mutators.
* The 5.9.0 patch expanded the number of Mutators to 37 (adding the second ring of 14), and increased the Mutated Seed drops from super mutations.