Winged War Goddess is the third mission in Earth Defense Force 2025 and Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair. It is the first to introduce Wing Divers as NPCs, and the last to include black Ants with a bite attack outside of one mission later in 4.1.
Objective[]
2025: A gigantic alien creature has appeared in the residential area. You must protect the civilians!
4.1: Gigantic alien creatures have appeared in a residential area. You must protect the civilians!
Storyline[]
Since the Wing Divers have not yet arrived, the Rangers and Storm Team are forced to proceed without them. As they fight, Ohara is unable to believe that so many insects survived the extermination, and worries that since the ants show evidence of evolutionary change in the seven years since they were last seen, there may be other unexpected changes that the EDF will not be ready for.
Eventually the Wing Diver unit bothers to show up, and the last of the giant insects quickly fall to the "Goddesses of Victory." However, the jubilation is short-lived as the EDF suddenly loses contact with another Wing Diver unit, with HQ concluding that something must have happened to them. The mission ends with a Ranger questioning how the Wing Divers could possibly lose.
4.1 Changes[]
The mission is virtually identical in 4.1, save that one Ant in the second wave will spawn stuck between two houses to the right of the cinema and is not able to free itself.
Enemies[]
Both versions:
4 waves of black Ants: 15 biting and 15 acid, 15 biting and 20 acid, 20 biting and 20 acid, 10 biting and 42 acid.
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 | 423 | 422 | 261 | 261 | 528 | 528 |
| Hard | 1531 | 1541 | 815 | 820 | 1914 | 1927 |
| Hardest | 3021 | 3530 | 1560 | 1815 | 3776 | 4413 |
Weapon Level Limit
| Game | Easy & Normal | Hard | Hardest | Inferno |
| 2025 | 2 | 25 | 50 | 77 |
| 4.1 | 2 | 25 | 53 | 79 |
Approximate Weapon Drop Rate
| Game | Easy | Normal | Hard | Hardest | Inferno |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 8-20 | 0-45 | 0-51 |
| 4.1 | 0 | 0 | 10-25 | 0-45 | 0-51 |
Strategy[]
2025[]
Winged War Goddess is another fairly straightforward mission fought mostly on a long wide road with a tramline down the middle, surrounded by small buildings which give the ants minimal ambush abilities. The only difficult part on higher difficulties is the approach to the final wave since it takes place in an area filled with trees, which can mask acid sprays from groups of bugs in the open field.
The first three waves of Ants are fought alongside a Ranger team; this team cannot be recruited unless the leader is killed, and automatically moves forward. The ants spawn under and around an elevated monorail train station, next to a large building that we're going to call a cinema for the sake of argument, and at the end of the long road.
When the last of these waves is killed, a group of NPC Wing Divers which also cannot be recruited will spawn and head back and to the left, making for an area under the bridge over the shallow river where about half of the final group of Ants has spawned; the other half spawns in and around the houses surrounding a field that leads to this area.
It is just this side of entirely possible for the entire Wng Diver unit to get themselves killed after arriving; it does not matter in the slightest if this happens. Neither does it matter if the EDF actually protects the civilians who are present rather than, say, dropping a Tempest S1A ballistic missile on them: it seems that as long as the giant insects get killed, protecting is assumed to be happening.
4.1[]
Um, go shoot that Ant, I guess.
| 1-10 | Reconvene • Spreading Disaster • Winged War Goddess • Setting Sun • Wind Break • 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 • High-Speed • Bloody Mountain • Brute Force |
| 31-40 | Charge Phase 1 • Charge Phase 2 • Dark Prisoner • Charge Phase 3 • Thunder • Infiltration • Convergence • Inferno • Starship • Dense |
| 41-50 | Crossing • Search • Waterside Bugs • Annihilation • Natural Calamity • Steel Beast • Void Ship • Blue Fighters • Earth Defenders • Fleet Attack |
| 51-60 | Mountain Pass Trap • Fortress Frenzy • Pincer • Ravages of War • Air Mobilization • Bug Invasion • Transport Ship Surprise Attack • Bug King • Crazy Skies • The Fleet Below |
| 61-70 | Bad Premonition • City of Horror • Mountains Ablaze • Breaking Through (2) • Bug Tower • Fortress Attack • Mountain Liberation • Sniper Attack • Mountain Giants • Towering Beast |
| 71-80 | Teeth of the Universe • Giant Ship • Spearhead • Tower Siege • Den of Thieves • Death Queen • Machine Squad • Monster Party • Labyrinth of Light • City Flaws |
| 81-90 | Monster Camp • Fallen Flagship • Heaven's Army • Encircling • Divine • The Threat • Troubled Valley • Battle to the Death • Massive Mobilization • Legion of Monsters |
| 91-94 | Scorching • Demon Army • Surrounded! • Star Eaters |
| 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 |