**Game Difficulty**

{{:difficulty.jpg?nolink&400|}}

''Normal''
  * Start with 15+25 minerals (UV3: 15 minerals)
  * Enemies start at 1 weapon/armor upgrade
  * Begin with 5 lives

''Hard''
  * Start with 15+30 minerals (UV3: 20 minerals, UV2: 50 minerals)
  * Enemies start at 2 weapon/armor upgrades
  * Begin with 4 lives

''Insane''
  * Start with 15+35 minerals (UV3: 25 minerals, UV2: 60 minerals)
  * Enemies start at 4 weapon/armor upgrades
  * Begin with 3 Lives

''Impossible''
  * Start with 15+40 minerals (UV3: 30 minerals, UV2: 70 minerals)
  * Enemies start at 7 weapon/armor upgrades
  * Begin with 2 lives

''**Ore Rewarded on Level Completion**''

In UV1 it's +10 ore per level; in UV2-4 it's +10 per level for normal, +13 for hard, +16 for insane, +20 for impossible and +24 for impossible+

''**UV4 Latest Changes**''

In current UV4 now you always start with 15+35 minerals, so higher difficulties than Insane no longer gives more starting minerals.

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By entering code:

''Impossible plus''
  * Start with 15+45 minerals (UV3: 35 minerals, UV2: 80 minerals)
  * Enemies start at 11 weapon/armor upgrades
  * Begin with 1 extra life (UV4: 0 extra life)

''Gauntlet''
  * All pre-placed enemies become hero units except spellcasters
  * All enemies become hero-unit color
  * Bosses get an increase in hp, sp and damage

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**Mature Chrysalis**

{{:mchrysalis.gif?nolink&200|}}

These are the "spawners" that regularly spawns enemy attacking waves. One spawner is chosen at random to spawn the enemies every set period of time. There is a 25% chance that a Mature Chrysalis does not spawn in level. Each Chrysalis destroyed does not strengthen the enemy spawns nor increase  the spawn frequency. In some levels you have to destroy some bigger buildings like Overmind Cocoon and Psi Disrupter in order to disable the Chrysalis' invincibility.