Ant Colony Deck and Starting Boost Guide: Choose Roles for Campaign and Endless

Build a deck around jobs and timing

Ant Colony levels begin with an ant card deck and perks. Even when the deck screen has eight slots, evaluate more than the number of cards. Check each card's job and the part of the run when it becomes useful.

A list of individually strong cards does not guarantee a working colony. A deck matched to the mission and the first failure in the previous run is more repeatable than one fixed “best deck.”

Five jobs a deck must cover

These jobs do not need equal card counts. In Campaign, emphasize the jobs required by the current objective. In Endless, prioritize resource, production, and defense roles that can continue for a long run.

Build the first deck in six steps

1. Read the level mission and identify the enemy.
2. Secure a job that supplies resources.
3. Secure a job that establishes the nest and population.
4. Keep a way to discover resources and enemies.
5. Balance defense and attack around the mission.
6. Check whether too many cards perform the same job.

On an unfamiliar stage, avoid removing gathering, exploration, or defense completely. After one attempt, reduce a job that was not used and move only one or two slots toward the job that failed.

Check when each card does its work

If a deck contains both resource and defense cards but still fails, timing may be the issue rather than card count. Separate roles that can be produced immediately from roles needed later.

Choose a starting boost from the first failure

Campaign offers starter boosts before a level. Existing game records show a three-step selection flow marked 1/3, 2/3, and 3/3.

Read the effects currently displayed and decide whether to extend a strength or cover a weakness. When uncertain, choose the option that directly reduces the first problem observed in the previous run.

Give the deck and boost different responsibilities

The deck should function at a basic level regardless of which boosts appear. Use a boost to accelerate the opening, lean toward a specific mission, or temporarily cover a small weakness.

Change the deck when:

• the run works only when one specific boost appears;
• gathering or defense is completely absent;
• almost no card remains useful after the middle of the run;
• several slots serve jobs unrelated to the mission.

Change the boost when:

• the deck works but starts a little too slowly;
• the colony needs slightly more preparation time for the first raid;
• one job is only slightly short in a specific mission.

Treat the deck as the foundation and the boost as an adjustment. Do not use a boost to hide a major structural gap.

Pair defense cards with the nest route

When the current version allows passages to be filled or rebuilt, shape the route from the entrance to the Queen so enemies pass near a barracks or combat role. Even when that operation is unavailable, check these points before adding more defense cards:

• Does the enemy pass through the combat role's engagement area?
• Is the shortest route to the Queen defended?
• Are combat ants away on an attack, leaving the nest empty?
• Are resources and production available for replacements?

Evaluating card strength separately from room placement can hide a simple problem: a strong defender cannot react because enemies never pass its position.

Campaign deck priorities

Campaign is about completing the mission for the current episode.

1. Identify the job required by the mission.
2. Keep the resources and production that let that job function.
3. Keep enough exploration and defense to find and answer threats.
4. Remove cards least connected to the objective first.

For a short mission, favor the opening. For a level that continues into the late game, preserve replacement capacity. Build for the current objective, not simply for the deck that won the previous location.

Endless deck priorities

Endless continues through waves, so a deck that can replenish resources and fighters is easier to sustain than one that is powerful only in the opening. If the colony collapses in early waves while using a normal-level approach, review Queen production, perks, and replacement capacity together.

• Do not overcommit to one enemy type.
• Keep gathering and production useful into the late game.
• Preserve a way to replace defenders after losses.
• Avoid relying only on opening boosts.
• Check whether perks cover a long-run weakness.

Record both the moment resources run out and the moment the defense line breaks. If supply fails first, change the economy. If defense fails first, change the force and placement.

Review order when stuck

1. Are too many roles unrelated to the mission?
2. Which failed first: resources, exploration, or defense?
3. Does each required card become useful at the right time?
4. Does the starting boost match the previous failure?
5. Do perks and the main force support the same direction?
6. Are room placement or travel distance delaying the cards' jobs?

Limit a change to one or two cards and avoid replacing the entire boost plan at the same time. Comparable attempts let you keep adjusting even after new cards or balance changes appear.

Be careful with older deck guides

Official update history says the card deck was fully redesigned in September 2025 and Queen ant abilities were updated. Videos and guides from before that redesign may show different cards or effects.

Use older material only for the idea of combining jobs. Prioritize the current game screen for card names, slot counts, and effect values.

Read next

• Starting ant roles
• Basic gameplay loop
• Perk basics
• Checklist when a stage will not clear