Gene-thief Ant

Information
Common name	Gene-thief ant
Scientific name	Formica ereptor Myrmecia ereptor
Environment	Lab
Castes	Queen Worker Royal guard Larry
Traits	Customization
Playable colony	Yes

Gene-thief ants (Formica ereptor) are playable in story missions, extra missions and custom games. You can change your gene-thief ant species if you have the Supporter's Pack DLC.

Settings

Gene-thief ants are entirely fictional. In the main story, gene-thief ants were created in a laboratory by scientists who researched on gene-splicing. The queen could select and pass down desirable traits to her broods by consuming Royal Jelly that was infused with genetic materials of other species.

You can unlock new units and adaptations for your gene-thief ants using Royal Jelly in the main story.

You only have access to royal guards through a formicarium adaptation.

Abilities

Gene-thief ants attack by biting.

Royal guards are uncontrollable and can only attack enemies.

Appearances

You can play as a gene-thief ant colony in:

• Main story

• Aggrandise

• Extremis

• The Other Foot

• Excavators

• Tug of War

• Enemy of My Enemy

• Tug of War 2

• Tug of War 3

• Critters

• The Nest

• Hold Out

• Surrounded

You can also encounter gene-thief ants in:

• Festive Spider

Notable stats

Gene-thief ant queen
Common stats	Health: 600 Score: 700 Healing speed: 1
Damage modifications	Physical resistance: 50% Venom resistance: 50% Maximum taken damage: 25
Immunities	Immune to stun/ confusion/ fleeing Immune to pickup (strong)/ knockback (strong) Immune to execution

Gene-thief ant worker
Common stats	Cost: 20 [2] Health: 25/ 35/ 45 Movement speed: 300/ 340/ 380 Score: 5/ 8/ 12 Harvest amount: 15/ 15/ 15 Healing speed: 0.1/ 0.1/ 0.1 Vision radius: 400/ 400/ 400 Worker
Damage modifications	None
Immunities	None
Attack	Damage (physical): 0.6/ 0.8/ 1 Attack speed: 1.5/ 1.5/ 1.5

Gene-thief ant royal guard
Common stats	Health: 200 Movement speed: 400 Vision radius: 400/ 400/ 400
Damage modifications	None
Immunities	Immune to stun/ confusion/ fleeing Immune to pickup (weak)/ knockback (weak) Immune to execution
Attack	Damage (physical): 10 Attack speed: 2.5

Larry
Common stats	Health: 100000 Movement speed: 300 Score: 2 Healing speed: 0.1 Vision radius: 400
Damage modifications	Piercing: 80% Thorn resistance: 90%
Immunities	Slow resistance: 90% Immune to stun/ confusion/ fleeing Immune to pickup (strong)/ knockback (strong) Immune to execution
Attack	Damage (physical): 300 Attack speed: 3

Trivia

• Myrmecia ereptor was originally an exclusive reward for backers who supported over 35£. It is purely cosmetic.

• The original story of the game involved a scientist who followed a Formica ereptor queen on its migration. The story was meant to be based on an island with a variety of environment and ant species that shouldn't exist in the same place. The gene-thief ant colony expanded through the island, killing rival ant colonies and gaining their desirable traits.

• Solstitium, a beta-tester, put a normal worker against a titan during his testing stream. He playfully named it Larry. The developers found this amusing so they added uber gene-thief ants in Battle Arena with this exact name.