Beach Fear

Beach Fear is the ninth mission in Earth Defense Force 2025 and Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair. Despite the name, it does not take place on the Beach map, instead being the first to take place in the Port area.

Objective
2025: Dispatch request to the port area. A Retiarius has been spotted. You're to go investigate.

4.1: Dispatch request to the port area. Enormous creatures known as 'Retiarii' have been spotted. You're to go investigate.

Storyline
With the Ravagers on the way, the EDF is fighting against the clock to end the existing giant insect threat before they arrive. HQ immediately orders Storm Team and the Rangers to "exterminate Retiarius!"

As the operation in the Port continues, the Tactics Officer reports that the fleet of ten Motherships is beginning its descent into the Earth's atmosphere. HQ, not one to allow a situation to pass without being ridiculous, states that it is "finally beginning" (this is different to the fight starting, which happened three missions ago), and the Earth's fate will be determined now.

Ohara makes the curious claim that the EDF's "aircrafts" are being stopped by the Motherships' air defense system (presumably the "system" of still being in space) and so a long-distance attack is the best option. Ignoring the nonsense going on around her, the Tactics Officer reports the first shot from the Equator Linear Cannon has been fired, and a moment later that it has destroyed one Mothership with its first hit and is recharging.

A volley of Tempest missiles is launched next, and the report she gives is of a devastating impact; another Mothership destroyed, and two more crippled. Ohara and the Operator are both jubilant at this news, and another Tempest volley and Linear Cannon shot are soon fired.

The Tactics Officer reports the impact of the second Linear Cannon shot, but is taken aback that the Mothership it struck is not damaged. HQ, who was clearly not paying attention, asks if the shot missed. She then reports the impact of the second volley of Tempest missiles, still doing no damage to their targets. This leads to Ohara wondering if they missed, and most likely to the Tactics Officer scheduling a meeting with the two later to explain what the word "impact" means.

She reports a third Tempest impact, still with no damage, and the Operator, seemingly the only person actually listening to her properly, asks how that could be. A third Linear Cannon shot also does nothing, baffling HQ. A fourth Tempest impact does no damage, and Ohara suddenly has a very lonely brainwave, declaring that the Motherships must be using a "Shield Screen" to ward off damage.

A fifth Linear Cannon shot and fifth Tempest volley are also ineffective, and the Tactics Officer, more justifiably ignoring Ohara, says that it looks like the Motherships are being protected by "something like a wall." HQ, never one to let a good idea pass without pretending it was his (or a good contradiction to go uncontradicted), finishes up by saying it is a Shield Screen big enough to cover a Mothership, then asks what kind of technology it is.

4.1 Changes
No changes.

Enemies
Both versions:

Retiarius x 10 with webs (all spawned at mission start).

2 waves of black Ants, 18, 15.

2 waves of Spiders, 18, 15.

Both Versions
This mission brings together all enemies encountered up until this point in the new Port map, which is very wide and open. While it repeats Wind Break / Wind Shear's use of Retiarii in side-roads, the sheer width of the service road that the mission takes place on means this is less of a problem than it was there, and there is plenty of room to see their attacks coming.

The most important thing to remember in any mission in the Port map is to never go in the water. Deep water triggers the very slow swimming animation and can only be exited by finding some stairs; not even a Wing Diver or a Fencer with a back-thruster weapon can get out. In addition, any vehicle that drops into deep water will instantly explode.

The mission starts with just a group of Retiarii defending some warehouses from marauding civilians, but after 25 seconds the first group of Ants will spawn on the road ahead, and usually become highly distracted by another group of civilians that spawns along with them. After the number of enemies on the map is reduced to 7 or less, a wave of Spiders spawns in the ocean (!) and quickly makes its way to land near the building with the tall spire to bother a new group of citizens. After the number of enemies is reduced to 3 or less, the final wave appears; Ants from under the sea to the right at the end of the road, and Spiders from straight ahead. Two final groups of civilians will accompany them, one in front of each Retiarius at the end of the road.

Perhaps they should be looking into a possible link between civilians and the giant insects, all told.

Once again, the NPC Rangers cannot be recruited and follow a fixed path, assuming they do not get Retiarius'd before they get there. The Retiarius webs do not start out with EDF soldiers or anyone else in them this time, though the Retiarii tend to start hoovering up civilians as soon as the mission starts.

This mission is absolutely ideal for the Fencer and Air Raider with its distant-spawning enemies distracted by civilians; High-Altitude Impact Missiles or a Naegling Self-Propelled Rocket Launcher will absolutely wreck the various Ants, Spiders and Retiarii even on Inferno as long as the character has a decent close-range backup plan such as a Flashing Spear and shield pair for the Fencer or ZE-Guns for the Air Raider. For other classes it is more of a straight-up fight; a sniper rifle will help to deal with approaching enemies, but a close-range weapon is essential for when they arrive.