How to beat Demo Leaf Cutter Mission?

[pakitane16]

Just make this thread to discuss about the demo mission
Basically, the mission includes:
- Build Storage and Refuse Tile
- Build 7 Minors and Medias, you can't build Major
- Gather 2000 leaves and kill 66 Rove Beetles
I have a group of 12 lv1, a group of 18 lv1, 6 lv2 medias, 7 minors, smaller group protect the minors, bigger group hunt the beetles. Yet 4 adult green beetles mow through all of them like leaves. When I try to delay the 2nd mission by building only 4 minors and more medias, and go for farther plants, the 2nd mission count as completed and crickets start to appear on the map. When none of my ants in on the surface due to rove beetles, 10 spiny crickets pour into my nest and help those beetles I can only kill 36 the most. Until then, there is only one big plant left in the southwest of the map, crickets prevent any harvesting on lower ground. So how do you guys do?
Also some questions for the dev, why tiger beetle larvae drop no food? And the narrator in 3.1 mentions velvet worm, is that a challenge mode spoiler?

 

[TerrificTimmeh]

Just make this thread to discuss about the demo mission
Basically, the mission includes:
- Build Storage and Refuse Tile
- Build 7 Minors and Medias, you can't build Major
- Gather 2000 leaves and kill 66 Rove Beetles
I have a group of 12 lv1, a group of 18 lv1, 6 lv2 medias, 7 minors, smaller group protect the minors, bigger group hunt the beetles. Yet 4 adult green beetles mow through all of them like leaves. When I try to delay the 2nd mission by building only 4 minors and more medias, and go for farther plants, the 2nd mission count as completed and crickets start to appear on the map. When none of my ants in on the surface due to rove beetles, 10 spiny crickets pour into my nest and help those beetles I can only kill 36 the most. Until then, there is only one big plant left in the southwest of the map, crickets prevent any harvesting on lower ground. So how do you guys do?
Also some questions for the dev, why tiger beetle larvae drop no food? And the narrator in 3.1 mentions velvet worm, is that a challenge mode spoiler?

I'm downloading the demo package now to have a go and play it to see the difficulty involved so I'll get back to you when I've had a go. I am fully aware that without majors, the medea ants have a lot of trouble burning through those green beetles when I played level 3.1 of the game so I'm quite curious how the demo is setup. Tiger beetle larvae don't drop food the same as all bugs don't drop food for the leaf cutter ant levels. Leaf cutter ants only have 1 food source - leaves - so they don't use any bugs as food.

 

[Rayalot72]

I'm downloading the demo package now to have a go and play it to see the difficulty involved so I'll get back to you when I've had a go. I am fully aware that without majors, the medea ants have a lot of trouble burning through those green beetles when I played level 3.1 of the game so I'm quite curious how the demo is setup. Tiger beetle larvae don't drop food the same as all bugs don't drop food for the leaf cutter ant levels. Leaf cutter ants only have 1 food source - leaves - so they don't use any bugs as food.

It just got released in the game, btw. Should be accessible via "other modes."

 

[Rayalot72]

I'd either build two groups of 19 lvl 1 media, or one group of 19 lvl 3 media (this seems like it might actually be worth it for the first time in a mission since 2.2, seemingly due to the reduced hatching cost vs. AoE damage).

Do not open underground chambers when there's a large quantity of crickets outside. I think I figured out they will start attacking you when they get up to 20 population, so once they get above 10 crickets you need to go out and kill as many as you can. This is much safer to do than to let them invade your nest all at once. Note that they are S bush crickets, which are way weaker than M or L bush crickets which have high attack and thorns, but more importantly that AoE bleed.

 

[pakitane16]

I'd either build two groups of 19 lvl 1 media, or one group of 19 lvl 3 media (this seems like it might actually be worth it for the first time in a mission since 2.2, seemingly due to the reduced hatching cost vs. AoE damage).

Do not open underground chambers when there's a large quantity of crickets outside. I think I figured out they will start attacking you when they get up to 20 population, so once they get above 10 crickets you need to go out and kill as many as you can. This is much safer to do than to let them invade your nest all at once. Note that they are S bush crickets, which are way weaker than M or L bush crickets which have high attack and thorns, but more importantly that AoE bleed.

Thanks Rayalot72, I finally beat it in 78 minutes. The trick is always leave some minors on the surface to harvest, and switch medias in and out to kill beetles and crickets alternately. Crickets will attack when I stay underground for too long. Green beetle seem to slow down? and blue ones confuse ants? I think. In the end, it surprises me when 40 crickets pour in lol, but I win. One brood chamber with most lv3 seems to be the correct way.

https://imgur.com/a/iYRmPaB

 

[Rayalot72]

Green (A) rove beetles have a slow effect and super high venom damage. Blue (B) rove beetles have a fear effect with a very mild venom damage (less damage than devil's coach horse).

 

[antlover19]

Just make this thread to discuss about the demo mission
Basically, the mission includes:
- Build Storage and Refuse Tile
- Build 7 Minors and Medias, you can't build Major
- Gather 2000 leaves and kill 66 Rove Beetles
I have a group of 12 lv1, a group of 18 lv1, 6 lv2 medias, 7 minors, smaller group protect the minors, bigger group hunt the beetles. Yet 4 adult green beetles mow through all of them like leaves. When I try to delay the 2nd mission by building only 4 minors and more medias, and go for farther plants, the 2nd mission count as completed and crickets start to appear on the map. When none of my ants in on the surface due to rove beetles, 10 spiny crickets pour into my nest and help those beetles I can only kill 36 the most. Until then, there is only one big plant left in the southwest of the map, crickets prevent any harvesting on lower ground. So how do you guys do?
Also some questions for the dev, why tiger beetle larvae drop no food? And the narrator in 3.1 mentions velvet worm, is that a challenge mode spoiler?

I have not played the demo yet but it sounds harder than previous demo levels.