Empires of the Undergrowth is a real-time strategy game where you lead an ant colony and fight for food and territory against the creatures sharing its world. Uber creatures are tougher, glowing versions of those regular enemies, and they can overwhelm a colony that isn't ready for them. Knowing how they show up and what they can do will help you handle them when they arrive.
Environment
Woodland
Devil's Coach Horse Beetle
A woodland beetle whose spray confuses enemies and keeps damaging them.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps the adult beetle's confusion and damage-over-time spray.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Mole Cricket
A woodland insect with a stun-and-knockback slam and a low-health recovery ability.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Its slam can stun and knock back nearby enemies; it heals when reduced to 70% health.
- Freeplay Access
- Unlockable by beating Excavators on any difficulty.
Environment
Beach
Beach Tiger Beetle
A beach beetle with a broad stun and a biting attack that causes damage over time.
- Base Form
- Large
- Uber Ability
- Its wide-area stun can hit nearby enemies, and its bite applies damage over time. The Uber form cannot knock enemies back or slow them.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Beach Wolf Spider
A beach hunter that poisons enemies and can regain health by eating small prey.
- Base Form
- Large
- Uber Ability
- Keeps the large spider's venom bite and can eat small enemies to heal.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Hermit Crab
A beach crab that hides in its shell to defend itself and recover health.
- Base Form
- Small
- Uber Ability
- Can retreat into its shell to raise defense and heal at low health; it cannot move while tucked in.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Environment
Rainforest
Jumping Spider
A rainforest spider that leaps at isolated targets and poisons them.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Jumps toward lone enemies, can poison them, and runs from fights when outnumbered.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Spiny Devil Bush Cricket
A spined rainforest cricket that reflects hits and can make nearby enemies bleed.
- Base Form
- Large
- Uber Ability
- Reflects contact damage and keeps the large cricket's spinning attack that makes enemies bleed.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Leaf-mimic Praying Mantis
A camouflaged rainforest mantis that hunts its first target and can heal by eating small prey.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Stays off the minimap and has no health bar when out of combat, homes in on its first target, and can eat small enemies to heal.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Whip Spider
A long-legged rainforest hunter that can stun, knock back, and wound nearby enemies.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps most adult attacks, including stun, knockback, and bleed, but does not reposition during combat.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Velvet Worm
A rainforest worm that slows enemies with slime and can stun them with a ground slam.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps the adult worm's slowing, damaging slime and can slam the ground to stun enemies.
- Freeplay Access
- Unlockable in custom game enemy settings.
Environment
Swamp
Bombardier Beetle
A swamp beetle that sprays a hot chemical mixture to damage nearby enemies over time.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps its boiling chemical spray that damages enemies over time.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Red Velvet Ant
A swamp insect that reflects hits and stings enemies that chase it after a retreat.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Reflects contact damage, flees at low health, and can sting enemies that pursue it.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Eastern Newt
A swamp newt that reflects contact damage and heals by eating small enemies.
- Base Form
- Juvenile
- Uber Ability
- Keeps the juvenile's contact damage reflection and can eat multiple small enemies at once to heal.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Narrow-mouthed Toad
A swamp toad that eats small enemies and recovers health as it hunts.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Reflects contact damage, eats small enemies to heal, and can swallow several at once without healing.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Environment
Savannah
Huntsman Spider
A savannah spider that can flee and roams through a nest before going for its queen.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Can occasionally flee; after entering a nest it may roam between chambers for 40 to 60 seconds before attacking the queen.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Sun Spider
A savannah hunter that executes small enemies and can stun, but cannot heal by eating.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps most adult abilities, including execution and stun, but cannot eat small enemies to heal.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Rainbow Lizard
A savannah lizard that heals by eating small prey and can make enemies bleed.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Can eat multiple small enemies to heal, use stronger bites, and make enemies bleed.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
African Giant Centipede
A savannah centipede that uses venom and can confuse enemies.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps the adult's venom, stun, and knockback attacks; the Uber form can also confuse enemies.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
Alligator Back Scorpion
A savannah scorpion that poisons and paralyzes enemies with its sting.
- Base Form
- Adult
- Uber Ability
- Keeps the adult's venom grabs and two-target paralysis; the Uber form can poison and does not reposition during combat.
- Freeplay Access
- Selectable in custom game enemy settings.
What Are Uber Creatures?
Uber creatures are stronger versions of the regular creatures in Empires of the Undergrowth. They come with better stats, and their abilities can differ from the normal form, though many keep everything the regular creature can do. Each uber has its own distinct glow, so you can pick it out from the creatures around it.
How Do Uber Creatures Appear in Freeplay?
In Freeplay, uber creatures appear at random, and they're rare. A new one should usually show up within about 45 minutes of the last spawn, and the chance of one appearing keeps climbing the longer none has shown up. When one arrives, the game flags it on the minimap and shows an alert, so you know right away where to look.
Can Uber Creatures Go Underground?
Yes, but not right away. An uber has to spend 8 minutes on the surface before it can enter the underground through a nest entrance. That delay gives you time to get ready, because once it's in the tunnels, it's inside the space where your colony lives.
Why Are Uber Creatures So Dangerous?
Uber creatures are dangerous because they're stronger than the regular forms and carry powers that change how a fight goes. Some heal, and some damage enemies over time. The uber rainbow lizard can heal by eating several small enemies at once, and it can make enemies bleed. The uber bombardier beetle keeps the regular beetle's abilities and carries damage over time, so its harm keeps going after the first hit.
Which Missions Have Uber Creatures?
Uber creatures also turn up in missions. In Adventure, one objective is to kill an uber jumping spider. An infested nest next to yours holds the uber spiny devil bush cricket, leaf-mimic praying mantis, whip spider and velvet worm. In Babysitting, an uber hermit crab hides under a log, but you don't have to kill it to win.
Uber creatures also appear in Excavators, Enemy of My Enemy, Beetles Rise Up!, Hungry Spider, Festive Spider and New Year's Feast.
How to Deal With Uber Creatures
Start by checking what the uber in front of you can do, since each one has its own mix of abilities. Healing can make a fight drag on, while damage over time slowly wears down the ants you send in. Decide early whether to commit or pull back, because staying in a losing fight costs you ants.
What Do You Get for Killing an Uber Creature?
A killed uber is worth 3,000 food, which is a big boost for any colony. Up to eight units can harvest it at the same time, so send a group in quickly. The body disappears after 10 minutes, so don't wait too long before you collect.
How Do You Turn On Uber Creatures in Custom Games?
Ubers are switched on in the enemy settings when you set up a custom game. They're grouped by environment, so you can choose the ones that fit the terrain you're playing on. The savannah group came in the Beach Brawl update and includes the African giant centipede, alligator back scorpion, rainbow lizard, huntsman spider and sun spider.
FAQ
How do you unlock the Uber mole cricket?
Beat Excavators on any difficulty. That unlocks the Uber mole cricket for custom games.
Does turning on Uber creatures change my score?
Yes. In a custom game, switching them on raises your overall score by 10%.
Can you win a custom game by killing Uber creatures?
Yes. The Hunter victory condition counts Uber kills toward the win, and the newer savannah Ubers count toward it too.