Leafcutter level 1 "The harvest" is pretty damn difficult.

[Данзан Colobopsis]

IMO, 1st leafcutter level is unbalanced:
1. AI of your ants often just doesn't pick the leaves, while staying in a step from it.
2. Enemy colony IMO has too many media ants and they make pretty big advantage, as they can harvest more.
3. Location of hostile colony is way better, as they have 3 (!) plantations in a close proximity with very high amount of leaves, In the same time we have just 2 kinda safe ares with not very big amount of food.
4. The winning/losing condition is not very logical. Instead,
I suggest that when having on 2k leaves less than hostile colony you will not fail the level, as you have all chances to catch up. When you have reached 10k you will confront the enemy family, but not in the way of "Who has one billion majors - wins, but in reasonable numbers. Just like when enemy ants are trying to take the place back, but x2 or x3.

This is my opinion about "The harvest" level. What do you think about the suggestion and about the level?

[Bulborb87]

I wasnt able to beat this level by producing more food then the AI in this level so i had to resort to plan B for this level which i found to be more reliable: take out their queen

[Buffy]

Has anyone managed to kill the enemy queen on hard? Not sure if that is possible, definetly not possible on insane though.

[Andrewbh2003]

its all about protecting your supply lines while disrupting theres

when your opponent has the advantage resort to the age old tactic and cheat/sabotage them

[Mr. Tank Gaming YT]

I had a hard time with this as well but what I did to complete this mission was to attack them where they are gathering food and when they retreat either tell your ants to run like hell or gather as much food as possible by the location they were gathering then run like hell before their reinforcements arrive or you can just attack their other group that's gathering food if there is any but I'd not let my whole ant army attack them I would let a group or 2 groups go gather some food elsewhere.

and if it looks like they aren't gathering any more food then I would attack their queen because that means they aren't able to replenish any more ants >:)

[Fleringe]

i did beat insane but it was on testing the diffuculty is indeed increased

the thing about that map is the startup of the enemy nest you should watch
there he isnt walking always to the same locations.
there are 4-5 locations the enemy is walking to on level insane if he walks to the 1 close to his nest just restart that he doesnt do this.
cause you wount be able to beat him if he does even killing his queen is impossibel i tried over 10 times when he starts collecting there you will always loose.

even on level hard its very challing when he collects near his nest.

and indeed wat andrewbh tells always try to have an group of 4-5 majors walking in to there lines even try to walk them so you can cut its very hard cause they might walk back to nest when reordeningbut that helps so much in achieving goals.

wat i always do first half of game focus on expending expending when you reach half your goal not enemy nest start disrupting there lines very often somethimes if you do it faster also works but if you win the fight only then.

cause in beta testing you could easly win with only majors now you need media and majors to win.

ands its acteally pritty balanced now just check how the ai walks on wich 2 food lines that makes so much difrence if the ai walks on hard and insane to the 2 closest you will loose on both diffuculties no mather how hard you try.

[Данзан Colobopsis]

Also. What will perform better: Spam of minors (+-70) or balance between (30 minors, 10 medias and 2 majors)?

[Fleringe]

on level hard you need some medias and majors to defend the minors so but its wat you prefer to go with.
i prefer to build on the income i gain so if i am currently with an fast income rate i would rather build majors and medias then minors

this i do for insane hard to but there you only need 12k food and last game i tried the ai had 6.9k food and i was donne i collected 12K

also wat i moustly do is focus to 40-50 minors then i build aroung 20-40 medias with an few majors and the i focus till 30 majors and around 50 medies on insane and i keep att all cost 15 majors home and try to have around 200+ food stored so the majors can be respawnd

otherwise the assoult of the ai will kill your queen and be carrefull how your line is running if the enemy is sending new attack wave cause you moust like will die off there last 2 assaults.

[Данзан Colobopsis]

Another question. On very strt, should I build +-30 minors aka spam em and only then build a few medias and 2-4 majors, or should I make more medias?

[Fleringe]

no i rush to 40+ and during that time also some medias but dont go to majors yet cause waiting to majors will set you back big time.
on hard you can just rush 40+ minors cause there is nothing that will attack minors but if you have att 1 point 80 food always place 1 media insteat of 4 minors.

cause you geth 2 medies and 1 major ok medias cost 10 more and 1 to spawn but still 2 gather bether then 1 but also feel free how you build its how i build ofcourse.

and i have in the end 14 minors in nest and still 40-50 minors wat i did build in start the rest is medias and majors.

[Mike]

Having a good opening game is essential if you want to get ahead and stay ahead. Towards the end of the game, the AI finds it much more difficult to harvest efficiently and there's room to catch up there if you've fallen behind. In the meantime, harassing their gathering points then retreating once you've taken some of their potential crop is the best way of keeping them from getting too far ahead.