While taking your first steps in Grounded, you may have already come across the red anthill, which is near the starting point. Trying to explore immediately is suicide, as the many soldier ants will attack you on sight, and even the worker ants will become hostile. As there are dozens of ants, the frontal attack is not the solution, unless you are well equipped.
Position of the red anthill
There are several anthills in play, but the next ones are for much later. They are remote, inaccessible and dangerous. If you haven't found the red anthill yet, here it is on the map. Note that it is also possible to enter through a broken window of the oak laboratory. We will detail this method later.
red ant armor
As you may have already experienced, going through the main entrance to the anthill is difficult. But there is a very simple way to solve the problem: make 3 pieces of red ant armor, called red chitin armor, and wear them together . It acts as a disguise. This set gives a strength bonus for carrying materials (up to 8 instead of 5), as well as a secret bonus that makes all red ants neutral towards you, even soldiers. This makes it one of the best armors in the game, even at high levels.
To make this armor, you need to analyze the different materials of red ants or reach mental power level 2. You need the following materials:
- A red ant's head
- 14 Pieces of Ants
- 11 Mite Downs
- 2 Primitive Vine Ropes
-
2 Acid Glands, obtained from Larvae or Bomber Beetles. This is the most difficult component to obtain initially.
You don't need to kill any soldiers for the other materials, just slaughter the lone red ants, or skin the dead ants, at the edge of the toxic zone. But don't get too close or you'll die too.
Once equipped with this armor, you can freely explore the anthill, but be careful, if you pick up a red ant egg in front of other ants, they will instantly become hostile. So you have to collect as many eggs as possible, then flee. By moving far enough away, or by killing your pursuers, your camouflage becomes active again.
Secret entrance
If you don't feel like crafting the Red Ant Armor, or if you're just hunting for the Milk Molars well hidden in its every nook and cranny, you can go through the Oak Lab. The entrance is where BURG.L is, after meeting him through the main story. Look for a broken window in the lab, which leads to a cave full of water. Going down, you will arrive in a gallery at the height of the anthill.
When to venture into the anthill?
You are destined to return several times to the red anthill, in order to steal red ant eggs. The reason being that eggs are used to create bombs, which you absolutely need to unlock certain locations and secrets. The problem is that there are not many eggs at the same time, there are 5 to 6 on average. They also have a tendency to hatch after a while, even in your inventory or in a chest. They cannot therefore be stored long term.
- We therefore advise you to wait until you have a gas mask, and have killed a few enemies in the toxic mist zone, in order to have collected Mold , the other component difficult to obtain for the bombs.
- Additionally, the anthill is full of sturdy Quartize and Marble, as well as Milk Molars. They have in common that they require a level 2 hammer to be broken . It may be wise to reach a bit to get there.
Loot present in the anthill
This is not an exhaustive list, but you can pick up the following items and materials:
- A visual of SCA.B
- A BURG.L electronic chip that unlocks useful recipes
- A Milk Molar
- A Mega Milk Molar
- Two rotting pieces of bee armor
