Thunder is the thirty-second offline mission and the thirty-sixth online mission in Earth Defense Force 2025 and the thirty-third offline mission and the thirty-fifth online mission in Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair.
Objective[]
2025: A enemy mothership has invaded the city. She is formidable, but if we can shoot it down the Ravagers will be dealt a great blow. The hopes of our allies across the world lie with this strategy and they have offered their support. The entire world has been attacked by the alien mothership fleet. We must destroy the mothership, but we'll have to deal with her escort. Focus on their defense squads first, then we can take down the mothership.
4.1: Enemy motherships have invaded the city! Though formidable, if we can shoot them down, the Ravagers will suffer a great blow. The hopes of our allies across the world lie wih us, so they've offered their support. We're all in this together, after all! We must destroy the motherships, but we'll also have to deal with their escorts. Focus on the defense squads first, then strike hard.
Storyline[]
The Tactics Officer informs the ground troops that since the Mothership is protected by a shield screen they have to be attacked from the ground. Storm Team engages the enemies escorting the ship, while it deploys its Genocide Gun and destroys half the city. Eventually as the EDF kills most of the enemies on the ground the Mothership send out a small army of drones. Once the drones are defeated it deploys its Cannon Panels and slowly flies away. Once every enemy on the ground is destroyed the mission finishes
4.1 Changes[]
The mission is set on a different map. More enemies and more allies spawn. There's slightly more radio chatter when friendly reinforcements arrives and at the end of the mission HQ will tell the ground troops that the mission was a failure since the mothership got away. On Hardest and Inferno difficulties gold ants also make an appearance.
Enemies[]
2025[]
| Wave | Spawn | Enemy | Amount | Notes | |
| 1st | Appears at the begining of the mission. | Black Ants | 26 | ||
| Crimson Ants | 10 | ||||
| Hectors | 6 | ||||
| Mothership | 1 | Cannot be destroyed. | |||
| Genocide Gun | 1 | Cannot be destroyed. | |||
| Flying Drones | 24 | Appear when 25 enemy are defeated from the previous waves. | |||
| Laser Panels | 40 | Appear when 55 enemy are defeated from the previous waves.
The Mothership will withdraw after 70 seconds after these deployed. | |||
| Plasma Panels | 22 | ||||
| Shield Bearers | 2 | ||||
4.1[]
| Wave | Spawn | Enemy | Amount | Notes | |
| 1st | Appears at the begining of the mission. | Black Ants | 54 | Hardest or Above:
36 Black, 18 Gold Ants instead | |
| Crimson Ants | 28 | ||||
| Hectors | 10 | ||||
| Mothership | 1 | Cannot be destroyed. | |||
| Genocide Gun | 1 | Cannot be destroyed. | |||
| Flying Drones | 40 | Appears when there is less then 60 enemy left. | |||
| Laser Panels | 40 | Appears when there is less then 50 enemy left.
The Mothership will withdraw after 70 seconds after these deployed. | |||
| Plasma Panels | 22 | ||||
| Shield Bearer | 5 | 7 on Hard, 9 on Hardest or above. | |||
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 | 801 | 796 | 450 | 448 | 1002 | 996 |
| Hard | 2047 | 2222 | 1073 | 1161 | 2559 | 2777 |
| Hardest | 3364 | 4041 | 1732 | 2070 | 4206 | 5051 |
Weapon Level Limit
| Game | Easy & Normal | Hard | Hardest | Inferno |
| 2025 | 10 | 34 | 59 | - |
| 4.1 | 10 | 34 | 61 | - |
Approximate Weapon Drop Rate
| Game | Easy | Normal | Hard | Hardest | Inferno |
| 2025 | 3-7 | 5-9 | 18-30 | 0-55 | 8-68 |
| 4.1 | 2-7 | 4-9 | 19-34 | 0-56 | 8-68 |
Strategy[]
4.1[]
Bring weapons against ants and Hectors.
You can ignore the mothership completely, but keep away from the center of the map where it shoots the Genocide Gun.
| 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 |