SPECIAL ANT LIFE CYCLE · STAGE 4

When should I replace or retire this ant?

Do not replace a developed ant just because a newer ant appears on a tier list. Replace it when a candidate proves a useful, repeatable improvement for the job your lineup actually needs.

Core rule: TEST first. Promote the candidate only after repeatable improvement. Otherwise HOLD the developed ant.

BENCHMARK

Start with what already works.

Identify the ant and formation you currently use successfully. That becomes the benchmark. A replacement must improve something meaningful, not simply look newer on paper.

CANDIDATE

Choose one replacement at a time.

Test one candidate against one established ant. Changing several ants at once makes it much harder to know which change actually helped or hurt.

FAIR STATE

Develop the candidate enough to compare fairly.

Our current testing standard is normally Level 50 when practical. Keep major variables such as troop type, insect, reforms, mutations, gear/evolution, and comparable targets as stable as possible.

Review the new-ant setup →

REPEAT

Run more than one test.

Record several baseline results, then several candidate results. Do not retire a proven ant because of one lucky skill proc, one favorable opponent, or one unusually poor baseline run.

VALUE

Ask what actually improved.

Look for the improvement that matters to the job: damage, survival, control, consistency, score, matchup performance, or another clearly defined goal. A different result is not automatically a better result.

DECIDE

PROVEN or HOLD.

If the candidate repeatedly improves the result under comparable conditions, it can move from TEST to PROVEN. If not, keep the developed ant and revisit the candidate later.

BEFORE YOU RETIRE AN ANT

Seven questions to answer

Do I have a clear benchmark formation? Am I testing only one major replacement at a time? Is the candidate developed enough for a fair test? Are major comparison variables reasonably stable? Have I repeated both baseline and candidate tests? Is the improvement useful for the job I care about? Has the improvement been repeatable?

THE DECISION

Use one of three outcomes.

PROVEN

The candidate repeatedly improves the result and has earned the position.

HOLD

Your developed ant still performs better or the candidate has not proved a meaningful gain.

RETEST LATER

The candidate may need more development, a different formation, or better comparison data before you decide.

Next: Retirement and resource recovery

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

Replacing an ant is not the same as dismantling it.

You can stop using an ant in a primary formation without immediately destarring, converting, or reclaiming anything. Resource recovery is a separate decision and may involve costs, restrictions, or losses.

Needs More Data: exact current destar, recovery, conversion, and returned-resource mechanics are intentionally withheld until verified. We will not guess with player resources.