READY
I just got a new ant
Bring the candidate to a fair usable comparison state — normally Level 50 when practical — before judging whether it improves your account.
What to check first →SPECIAL ANT LIFE CYCLE
What should I do with this ant?
A useful ant decision is more than a tier-list position. This guide follows an ant from the day you obtain it through leveling, stars, lineup testing, replacement, retirement, and resource recovery.
Core rule: newer season does not automatically mean stronger for your account. Compare a candidate fairly before replacing a developed ant.
READY
Should I add stars?
Do not star an ant simply because it is newer. Invest when the next star has a clear purpose in a useful formation, skill breakpoint, or role.
Open the star decision guide →READY
Where should I use it?
Match the ant to troop class, PvP or PvE, Front/Middle/Back position, maturity stage, and the partners you actually own.
Open the usage decision guide →READY
When should I replace it?
Test one candidate against one established benchmark. Promote the new ant only after a repeatable improvement; otherwise hold the developed lineup.
Open the replacement guide →NEEDS MORE DATA
When should I retire or destar it?
This is a high-risk resource decision. Exact current destar, recovery, conversion, restrictions, and returned-resource mechanics must be verified before we publish step-by-step instructions.
We will not guess here.READY
What should I build next?
Use your actual roster, stars, development, troop focus, and goal to identify the next useful improvement instead of following a generic best-ant list.
Open the next-build guide →STAGE 1
First target: a fair comparison state
For lineup testing, our current project standard is to bring a candidate to a fair usable state, normally Level 50 when practical. Keep troop type, insect, reforms, mutations, gear/evolution, and other major variables as stable as possible when comparing ants.
STAGE 2
Stars should follow battlefield value
A duplicate shell can be extremely valuable when it advances an ant that actually improves a core formation. Avoid spreading scarce shells across many ants simply to add stars. Before spending, ask what the next star changes and whether that change matters to a lineup you use.
STAGE 3
Find the job before forcing the lineup
Match the ant to troop class, purpose, Front/Middle/Back evidence, development level, and the partners you actually own. If exact placement is uncertain, test it rather than guessing.
STAGE 4
Replacement test: TEST → PROVEN or HOLD
- Choose one candidate and one established benchmark.
- Bring the candidate to a fair usable state.
- Keep major comparison variables stable.
- Run repeated baseline tests, then repeated candidate tests.
- Judge consistency, not one lucky skill proc or favorable opponent.
- Promote only after a repeatable gain. Otherwise, hold the developed ant.
RESOURCE RECOVERY
Destarring and retirement guidance is not published yet.
We are intentionally holding this section until the current game rules, costs, restrictions, and returned resources are verified. This is exactly the kind of decision where outdated internet information can cost a player resources.
STAGE 6
Build the next useful improvement
Start with your goal, current formation, owned ants, stars, and development. The next move may be a new ant, a star on an existing ant, a lineup change, a test, or a deliberate HOLD.
EVIDENCE BEFORE ACTION
Check how certain the recommendation is.
Before spending scarce resources, look for the evidence label: Verified, Player Tested, Under Review, or Needs More Data.
KNOWLEDGE GAPS
Some life-cycle decisions still need game-mechanics intake.
Stars, destarring, awakening, mutation, insects, evolutions, and season mechanics are tracked so uncertain details do not become confident advice.