Fire Ant

Fire ants (*Solenopsis invicta*) are playable as complete colonies in story missions, extra missions and freeplay.

## **Abilities**

Fire ant workers and soldiers use basic attack by biting enemies. Both can sting.

Both workers an soldiers can't use basic attack while mounting enemies. They latch on and sting continuously instead.

A brood tile can hold 2 fire ant soldiers at once 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 units 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**
* *Score*: 600
 **Damage modifications** | * *Physical resistance*: 50%
* *Venom resistance*: 50%
 **Immunities** | * Immune to stun/ confusion/ fleeing
* Immune to pickup/ execution/ knockback

 **Fire ant worker**
* *Health*: 15/ 25/ 35
* *Movement speed*: 300/ 340/ 380
* *Score*: 5/ 8/ 12
* *Harvest amount*: 15/ 15/ 15
* *Regeneration speed*: 0.1/ 0.1/ 0.1
 **Basic attack** | * *Attack damage (physical)*: 0.8/ 1/ 1.2
 **Sting** | * *Attack damage (venom)*: 2/ 2.5/ 3
 **Mount** | * *Attack damage (venom)*: 10/ 10/ 10
* *Attack speed*: 1/ 1/ 1

 **Fire ant soldier**
* *Health*: 30/ 45/ 50
* *Movement speed*: 320/ 320/ 320
* *Score*: 7/ 10/ 11
* *Harvest amount*: 15/ 15/ 15
* *Regeneration speed*: 0.1/ 0.1/ 0.1
 **Basic attack** | * *Attack damage (physical)*: 1.5/ 2/ 2.2
 **Sting** | * *Attack damage (venom)*: 7/ 10/ 11
 **Mount** | * *Attack damage (venom)*: 10/ 10/ 10
 **Stat buff**
**(vigorous)**
* *Movement speed buff*: + 40%/ + 40%/ + 40%
* *Physical resistance buff*: + 25%/ + 25%/ + 25%
* *Venom resistance buff*: + 25%/ + 25%/ + 25%
* *Buff duration*: 120/ 120/ 120

## **Trivia**

* Fire ant bridge was the reward for reaching the second 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.

## **Community screenshots**

Fire ant queen and fire ant workers (by Zomboss479)Fire ant soldiers (by Pr0ksee)Floating bridge (by Medin)

## **References**

1. ↑ Tested by Antbzk64#9884 on Discord (18/6/2023).
2. ↑ Confirmed by John on Discord (24/8/2021).
3. ↑ https://forum.slugdisco.com/index.php?threads/faq-frequently-asked-questions-read-before-posting.3021/
4. ↑ Tested by Antbzk64#9884 on Discord (20/7/2023)
5. ↑ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eotu/empires-of-the-undergrowth-rise-of-the-colony/posts/1569292