Assault is the twenty-seventh offline mission and the twenty-eighth online mission in Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair. This is also the first mission that doesn't appear in Earth Defense Force 2025. It's also the first to introduce Erginus.
Objective[]
The enemy transport ships are gathering over a residential area. Command headquartes believes it'll be too hard to fight against them with only ground troops, so they've made a support request to the combat aircraft Midnight. It'll attack the transport ships with armor-piercing Grind Buster missiles while the infantry units will focus on eliminating the giant insects and attacking the ships from the ground.
Storyline[]
Storm Team and two Ranger teams arrive at a small town from the bridge over a nearby river with five transport ships flying overhead. One of the Rangers tells that Midnight is on its way and soon three of the ships gets destroyed by a Grind Buster from the bomber according to the Tactics Officer. Unfortunately the soldiers cheer too soon since apparently there aren't any more bombs left and HQ will order the ground troops to destroy the remaining ships.
As the teams are fighting against the giant insects already deployed, a Fencer team will radio in and HQ will tell the Rangers to help them. Two more ships will join the fray, but fortunately Midnight will suddenly remember that he forgot to drop his last bomb. After he sinks the last ship, HQ orders him to go home.
As the fight continues the Tactics Officer will inform the ground units that an unknown creature broke through some defense line. She warns that, it's coming this way to which one of the Rangers says that it doesn't matter what it is, they just have to shoot it. Unfortunately shooting it doesn't work. Ohara, baffled as always, ask for every data EDF has on the monster. The Tactics Officer reports that a seismic activity was noticed to be coming to the city and EDF built a defense line to stop it but was completely destroyed. She also tells that the it's armor is too thick to penetrate, to which Ohara says that is impossible even though they have already met enemies that's barely hurt by weapon fire or not at all. As the soldier are keep shooting at it Ohara keeps his unnecessary commentary about how he doesn't believe the monster exists. Soon the creature gets bored and walks away. The Tactics Officer, probably wanting to be the one who gives stupid names this time, names it Erginus, while probably everybody glares at her for not naming it Godzilla. Soon the mission ends and everyone can go home.
Enemies[]
| Wave | Spawn | Enemy | Amount | Notes | |
| 1st | Appears at the begining of the mission. | Black Ants | 30 | ||
| Spiders | 30 | ||||
| Transport Ships | 3 | Destroyed by Midnight | |||
| Transport Ships | 1 | Starts spawning when the second wave starts. | |||
| Spiders | 20 | ||||
| Transport Ships | 1 | Starts spawning when the ship with the spiders is destroyed. | |||
| Black Ants | 20 | ||||
| 2nd | Appears when all giant insects are defeated. | Transport Ships | 1 | Destroyed by Midnight | |
| Crimson Ants | 30 | ||||
| 3rd | Appears after the last waves are destroyed and a certain time elapsed. | Erginus | 1 | Have to be damaged to despawn, but cannot be killed. | |
Online Limits[]
Armor Limit
There's no limit for Inferno difficulty.
| Difficulty | Ranger & Air Raider | Wing Diver | Fencer | |||
| 2025 | 4.1 | 2025 | 4.1 | 2025 | 4.1 | |
| Easy & Normal | - | 704 | - | 403 | - | 882 |
| Hard | - | 2057 | - | 1078 | - | 2571 |
| Hardest | - | 3918 | - | 2009 | - | 4897 |
Weapon Level Limit
| Game | Easy & Normal | Hard | Hardest | Inferno |
| 2025 | - | - | - | - |
| 4.1 | 8 | 92 | 59 | - |
Approximate Weapon Drop Rate
| Game | Easy | Normal | Hard | Hardest | Inferno |
| 2025 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4.1 | 0--5 | 2-7 | 17-32 | 0-54 | 4-64 |
Strategy[]
Until Erginus spawns, the mission is fairly standard the usual gear and tactics against transport ships and giant insects can be used
You don't have to concern yourself with any of the transport ships since either Midnight will destroy it or they will open later. Kill the giant insects. Once you did that the ship on the right (from where you are facing at the spawn) will start spewing more spiders. Shoot it down then the other ship will start spawning black ants aided with a wave of red ants.
Then Erginus will spawn. It can't be killed during this mission but it will have to take some damage for it to leave. Make sure you don't stand too close or in front of it. Let it attack the NPCs while you shoot it from a safe distance.
| DLC 1: Special Forces | Exploration • Giant's Advance • Silver Camp • Citadel • Floating Fleet |
| DLC 2: Mutant Rampage | Advance • Mountain Assault • Enemy Camp Infiltration • Underground Advance • Giant Robots • Battle Species • Beast Mountain • Dark Arena • Gathering Around • Armored Species • Iron Wall • Mountain of Change • Whirlwind of Death • Bugged City • The Tough • Golden Darkness • True King • Final Impact • Into Destruction • Ship of Dragons |
| DLC 3: Beyond Despair | Tracking • Underground Complex • Blocked Pass • Close Formation • Dragon Ship Fleet • Heavy Artillery • Bloody River • Dangerous Goldmines • Beast Mobilization • Total Protection • Aerial Bombing • King of Armor • Cannon Defenders • Traps Behind • Four Kings of Nightmares • Resistance Against the Twilight • Shivering Nexus • Three Giants • Crimson Lotus • Starry Prison |
| 1-10 | Reconvene • Spreading Disaster • Winged War Goddess • Setting Sun • Wind Shear • Underground Cave • Eruption • Retaliation • Beach Fear • The Return |
| 11-20 | Air Force • Day of the Demons • Takedown • Preventing Landfall • Land Collapse • Fortress Siege • Valley Shadows • Artillery • Breaking Through • Shining Stronghold |
| 21-30 | Into the Depths • A Trap • Giant Robots • Summit Ship • Anchored • Silver City • Crimson • Assault • High-Speed • Bloody Mountain |
| 31-40 | Brute Force • Charge Phase 1 • Charge Phase 2 • Dark Prisoner • Charge Phase 3 • Thunder • Infiltration • Convergence • Inferno • Starship |
| 41-50 | High Density • Dozing Beast • Crossing • Search • Waterside Bugs • Annihilation • Natural Calamity • Steel Beast • Void Ship • Blue Fighters |
| 51-60 | Earth Defenders • Fleet Attack • Mountain Pass Trap • Fortress Frenzy • Pincer • Ravages of War • Crash • Air Mobilization • Bug Invasion • Transport Ship Surprise Attack |
| 61-70 | Bug King • Crazy Skies • The Fleet Below • Ill Omen • City of Horror • Mountains Ablaze • Breaking Through (2) • Bug Tower • Fortress Attack • Mountain Liberation |
| 71-80 | Battle of Giants • Sniper Attack • Mountain Giants • Towering Beast • Teeth of the Universe • Giant Ship • Spearhead • Tower Siege • Den of Thieves • Death Queen |
| 81-90 | Machine Squad • Monster Party • Labyrinth of Light • City Flaws • Monster Camp • Fallen Flagship • Heaven's Army • Encircling • Divine • The Threat |
| 91-98 | Troubled Valley • Battle to the Death • Massive Mobilization • Legion of Monsters • Scorching • Demon Army • Surrounded! • Star Eaters |
| DLC 1: Time of the Mutants | Air Offensive • Giants Advance • Recon • Dust Town • Defense Line • Underground Advance • War Breed • Mountain Assault • Enemy Camp Infiltration • Dark Arena • Beast Mountain • God's Army • The Gathering • Armored Species • Iron Wall • Silver Base • Shifting Mountain • Whirlwind of Death • Bugged City • Toughness • Golden Darkness • True Sovereign • Final Impact • Floating Fleet • Into Destruction • Ship of Dragons |
| DLC 2: Extreme Battle | Tracking Bogeys • Underground Complex • Blocked Pass • Close Formation • Dragon Ship Fleet • Heavy Artillery • Overflight • Dangerous Goldmines • Beast Mobilization • Total Protection • Bombs Away • King of Armor • Cannon Defenders • Bloody River • Three Giants • Traps from Behind • The Four Horsemen • Cross the Line • Facing Off • Crimson Lotus • Shivering Nexus • Last Bastion • Starry Prison |