Skirmish ◆ short game, 12 minutes ◆ milestone 5

DroneSeason

Two machine hives, one valley. Whatever is seen is killed, so the fight is over who sees first.

ScoutGlints see far and quietly. Perch one on a ridge to see further. Canopy hides what sits under it.
StrikeStings are cheap and spent on impact. Raiders bomb what they find, then fly home to rearm.
ProtectWardens patrol and net drones. Decoys look like Raiders to the rival and draw its fire.
LinkOrders reach drones near your Heart, Nests and Relays. Beyond that they carry on with what they were told. Harriers jam: drones near one fly blind.
HoldIn Last Light, the Crown bloom at the centre scores for whichever hive has more drones on it.

Win at frost on Crown score, or end it early by destroying the Cobalt Heart.

Rival hive

Rival style

Round

Map

0000

New here? The campaign’s first chapter teaches the game in four short scenarios.

Keys: Q W E R T Y arm squads · A again · 1–9 build · B auto build · D dash · X recall · F forager · G guard · Esc cancel · P pause · hold on the map for quick orders · scroll to zoom

Campaign

The season

Paused

Read the picture

GhostSomething is there. Type unknown, position rough. Fades in seconds.

TrackType and position known while a sensor holds it.

LockA firing solution. Holds about 3 seconds after the sensor loses it.

Dashing	louder, +2
Forager working a bloom	flares, +3
Standing on a ridge	sees 30% further, +1
Under canopy (green dashed edge)	hidden, −1 moving, −2 still
Diving on a target	loud, +4
Decoy	reads as 6 until seen close

Ridges block sight unless you stand on them. A red ring on your drone means the rival tracks it; a green ring means it is hidden under canopy.

Your hive

Forager	◆25	Harvests nectar and brings it to the nearest base.
Glint	◆10	Quiet scout with long sight. 75-second battery.
Sting	◆6	Hits the first thing its seeker finds. Spent on impact.
Decoy	◆5	Reads as a Raider to the rival and draws its fire.
Warden	◆35	Patrols where you tap and nets drones. Three nets, then home.
Raider	◆40	Three bombs for clustered or still targets. Rearms at home.
Relay	◆30	Hovers where you send it and carries your link 300 further. Chains through other Relays in link.
Harrier	◆45	Jams rival drones within 200: they cannot report, take orders or use the hive's picture. Its noise gives it away: you can see one while it jams you.
Nest	◆80	Forward base and sensor. Drones launch from the nearest base. Carries your link too.

Commanding the hive

Squads	Tap a squad, then tap the map or drag a route. Tap two to send them together. Long-press or right-click a squad to change its mix. Again resends your last squad the same way.
Auto	Keeps two items in the queue from your plan: the first row below its target, saving up for it rather than skipping ahead. Losses are rebuilt. What you build yourself goes first.
Posts	A spot the hive keeps staffed with Glints, Wardens or Decoys. It relieves a Glint before its battery fades and replaces Wardens that go home to rearm. Higher priority posts are filled first.
Link	New orders reach only drones in link: near your Heart, a Nest, or a Relay in link. Out of link, a drone keeps its last orders until its battery says home. A post out of link takes a Relay out with it if one is ready.
Jamming	Drones near a rival Harrier are jammed. They cannot report what they see, take new orders or use the hive's picture, so Stings hunt on their own and Decoys fool them. A jammed post gets no relief. Kill the Harrier.
Quick	Tap a blue contact for Strike, Bomb or Intercept. Press and hold open ground to scout, hunt, patrol, jam, place a Relay, set a post or grow a Nest there.

Two players

Your rival left

Frost

Plan