A very good strategy for Star Eaters (last) mission - Inferno.

[The-Smiths-85]

This is a great method to safely complete the last mission (all credits go to Papidadi):

 

 

[cris3f]

Now that I'm finishing the japanese version of EDF 2025 (地球防衛軍4) I've found a much easier way and more importantly more productive one to do this mission. It actually becomes one of the easiest missions of the last 20 or 30.

 

The way of the video, which is similar to the way I did the mission takes too much time and has a major flaw: you can't pick the weapon crates (armor are secondary). Also it's not 100% foolproof as both your characters can die easily during the 3rd phase with the dragons as these are totally merciless on this mission. And you usually must be alive by the time the brain explodes or the mission usually fails (it's unreliable the way you succeed or not if all players are dead at the very end).

 

This is the method I come up with:

 

Required: Air Raider (who else...) with Blast Railgun E (lvl 84) and Absolute Bunker (lvl 89)

The other weapon you can take Skytrap Wire 16W or the best Power Post you have (ZM lvl 84 if possible), although these are not required.

 

Other character take whatever you want but a powerful sniper is useful and something to destroy buildings later to pick weapons if necessary. I used the Monster-S and RZR Plasma Launcher for the WD, for the ranger the Lyzander-Z and best Stingray or Goliath and Fencer I just put his ass on the tank so that I didn't had to come back in the end to revive him.

 

As you start immediately use the AR to summon the Railgun to the lower right corner from your start to the parking lot, EXCEPT if you're using the tank to destroy the initial orange glowing Earth Eater, in which case just summon the tank where you are.

 

Using either the sniper from the second character or the railgun from the tank destroy the orange Earth Eater in front of you. If possible and you're not using the power post, destroy the second orange earth eater to the right of the first one. Although this is not necessary it will help you accumulate points to summon another railgun, but the power post will make the number of ammo you need much smaller.

 

With the hole in the sky proceed to the bottom right corner of the map from your start. DON'T stay in the corner of the map but instead in the corner of the parking lot. Install the 5 Bunkers in a line, taking a few steps back for each one, see the pic I used the WD to give a better idea. If the way it's installed is confusing see a japanese video of EDF 4.1 in inferno where they use it to get a clearer view. This way will provide you the best protection against the flying vehicles and earth eater attacks.

 

 

Put the railgun inside the shield and shoot the brain, remember you must hit the top orange part of it, not either hexagonal part. SHooting the almost fuzzy top right is the most sure way, you'll hear the brain screeching sound. After a few shots phase 1 will end, all earth eaters will disappear and the 2nd phase will come. If you brought the Skytrap Wire, just exit the tank and shoot it to the sky to kill a few flying vehicles, but be careful where and how you shoot it to avoid crushing your tank, or just wait.

 

As the 2nd phase starts there will be a orange glowing earth eater just to your left. You'll need to hit it with the railgun, twice if you don't have a power post. This is essential. This position gives you a good shooting point for it, but remember the railgun has some recoil so you'll probably have to adjust it. Exit from the shield protection if necessary, you'll have enough armor in the tank for that. Once the earth earth explodes you'll have again full access to the brain. If possible summon a new railgun, it will be helpful if you missed a few shots, and the railgun won't have enough ammo for the 2nd phase. 2 earth eaters (one from 1st phase and this one) and the pod that drops flying vehicles from the 1st phase should give enough points for this, although generally it won't be necessary. Shoot it until the 2nd phase ends.

 

Now the REALLY CRUCIAL step as 3rd phase is starting. Drive the tank to the tunnel under the road that is left and slightly above from where you started (yes the one used several times on this map). DON'T shoot absolutely anything flying vehicles, dragons, earth eaters, zilch. You'll probably lose half the tank armor to get to the tunnel, there's no problem. No problem either if the railgun is out of ammo, it happened to me in the run I took these pics.

Stop the tank in the middle of the tunnel.

Now wait. This is the major trick to make this extremely easy and productive.

Take the time to recharge your shield and power post.

Dragons are in standby mode until you shoot them or the 3rd phase earth eaters. The flying vehicles can't hit you in the tunnel. And 3rd phase earth eaters do very little damage inside the tunnel (which isn't the case with the pink guns that abound in the sky in the 1st and 2nd phase, these will kill you even inside the tunnel).

 

 

After around 4 minutes, coming right from your start, a group of Wing Divers will come along the road that has the tunnel. Next a group of rangers from the bottom of the map, towards the tunnel top, and another from the same road as the WDs but from the left. These 3 groups are a lot better than the usual NPC crap (like on mission 11) and will engage and destroy all dragons and flying vehicles. If a dragon enters the tunnel before they show up hide in the tank and try to avoid killing it until they arrive.

 

Now just install the shield the same way you did before in the tunnel slope after its end and railgun all the earth eaters. You can summon a new railgun for each 2 or 3 earth eater violet cores you shoot, so plenty will be available. If you had no ammo left on your just wait until the NPCs shoot enough enemies for you to summon one, or help them. When the brain is alone just pick all crates you want with the class you want. It will take more time than finishing the level. When done, kill the brain. Takes less than 10 mins without picking crates.

 

Let me say again how important is to pick ALL weapon crates the first time you do a level with a specific class. If you don't have 100% weapons this is crucial, it can save you hundreds of hours of farming. EDF 2025 is pretty cheap in crates you can get between 4 and 10 with this method. Doing the long run (killing everything in phases 1 and 2) doesn't wield much more weapon crates and it takes around 1 hour to do.

 

This mission can be soloed with the Air Raider with the same ease.

 

Let me say that you don't need to farm much armor for inferno. Look on the second image the armor I had for either class. And I had a lot by then as I farmed 2 times with these 2 to get weapons for both (which adds 400 for the AR and 130 for the WD each time).

Inferno is more strategy than skill or shooting. I'm totally guilty of this misconception about EDF as I though otherwise too. If you follow this road the game can be a lot of fun. Even fantastic with the right online partners.

 

Have fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by cris3f

[cris3f]

Replying to myself (not a good idea probably...).

 

Videos of Star Eaters, the easiest and productive way, and Encircling, the easiest way.

If I remember other missions that I can share creative (read easy) strategies to finish that are not widely known I'll share in the same playlist (which I already did...)

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately playlist link posts just the video here but if you press "Watch on Youtube" just above will show the whole playlist.

 

Have fun.

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by cris3f