Exploding Ants expands your arsenal across all game modes by introducing two powerful new species to the battlefields of Empires of the Undergrowth – one for the termites, and one for the ants. Whether you’re experimenting with them in Freeplay Mode and Custom Games, using Remix mode to bring them into campaign levels, or unlocking them for use in the defense of your Story Mode’s formicarium, each species includes a new unit capable of autothysis, the ability to voluntarily explode, giving you access to a powerful response against intruders that might otherwise overwhelm your forces.
Empires of the Undergrowth - Exploding Ants includes:
A new tactical tool to use in the heat of battle, autothysis is an excellent last resort for defence inspired by real world ant and termite species. By rupturing a gland, these creatures are able to cause an explosive reaction that takes their lives for the greater good of the colony. The loss of life is not to be underestimated, however – will you rely heavily on the benefits of autothysis among your soldier ants, first building a support network that can provide an endless supply of replacement warriors? And how will you choose when to pull a termite worker away from its nest jobs to die in the defence of the colony instead? While it can be tempting to rely on this powerful new ability, it comes at a great cost.
Three new unit types hail from the C. explodens species of ants, native to Southeast Asia. While their workers don’t have any special abilities, their regular soldiers are able to explosively sacrifice themselves to damage enemies around them, slowing them down momentarily. Upgrades allow the soldier to cause more damage, reach a wider radius, take advantage of chain explosions to cause more damage, or leave behind a pool of liquid that causes damage to enemies walking through it. Meanwhile, their major soldiers take reduced damage when attacked from the front, able to hunker down and become stationary while increasing armour of nearby allies.
Two new unit types from the N. taracua species of termites bring a new soldier (able to use asymmetric snapping to deal a great amount of damage to the enemy underground, or stun opponents on the surface while flinging themselves away from harm), alongside a new worker that develops the ability to explode if kept alive for long enough. Just like their real-world counterparts, these termite workers develop spots on their abdomen that contain blue laccase – an enzyme that reacts violently during autothysis to create a toxic mixture. This means that, while they can’t explode immediately after birth, their explosions become more dangerous the longer they’ve been kept alive. These workers can be upgraded to mature their explosive capabilities more quickly, to improve the rate at which their explosion causes more damage, or to keep that damage or resulting confusion persisting over a longer period of time after explosion.
Two new levels inspired by the main campaign featuring the new exploding ants and termites -- return to The Harvest to eradicate a colony of fire ants, and revisit the rainforests of the Front Line in the hopes of surviving several nights of battle.
As the lines of ants and termites clash among the blades of grass, the distinct sounds of explosions on either side of the battlefield send a clear message to the enemy – be they ant, termite, or any other creature of the undergrowth – these warriors are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if necessary.
