To build the first nest, take the Queen to the marked dig area, use the displayed interaction repeatedly, and continue underground until the egg action is accepted. If the game says you are not deep enough, keep digging and move the Queen fully into the chamber. Build for movement first: a clear entrance and readable chamber make Worker routes easier to establish than a tight decorative tunnel.
Find the correct starting ground
Current screenshot-backed gameplay shows a green DIG HERE marker on the starter terrain. Use the live marker or tutorial prompt, because map layout can change. Do not assume every patch or colony type begins on the same hill. The correct site is the one where the Queen receives the digging interaction and the game recognizes underground depth.
Approach until the prompt highlights the terrain rather than a nearby unit or object. On PC or mobile, use the interaction label displayed in the current client. A current walkthrough shows E, but fixed input claims can become stale; the action prompt is safer than the letter.
Dig until the egg gate clears
Carve downward in small steps and test the egg action from inside the hollow. A warning such as “not deep enough” tells you the nest location or depth has not passed the gate. It does not automatically mean you need more Food or a different colony.
Keep the Queen within the newly opened space when testing. If the action is still blocked, deepen the center and make sure the character is not standing on the surface edge. Stop when the egg menu works; digging far beyond the first requirement before creating a Worker delays the economy.
Shape the first chamber for traffic
The first chamber needs three practical areas: a clear entrance, space for the Queen and eggs, and a line units can use to exit. Put movement before symmetry. If the Queen fills the doorway, step to one side before issuing Scavenge. If multiple eggs crowd the same corner, expand the chamber rather than narrowing the tunnel around them.
Test the nest with one Worker
Create one Worker and use Scavenge. Watch the unit move from the chamber through the entrance to a Food source, then return. This is the nest’s first functional test. A path that works outbound but not inbound is not finished.
If the Worker sticks at the entrance, widen or simplify that segment. If it leaves but cannot return, inspect turns and the Queen’s position. Change one piece at a time and retry with the same Worker. Buying more units can hide the failure under a crowd without fixing it.
Update 5.4 advertises improved pathfinding, but route readability still matters to the player. A wide simple lane lets you tell whether the target, order, or terrain is responsible when behavior changes.
Expand without breaking production
Add space after the first Food loop repeats. Extend a secondary chamber or deepen the back of the nest while keeping the main entrance open. Avoid changing the resource route and the whole chamber at the same moment. After each significant dig, watch another complete delivery.
As population grows, separate staging from transport. Keep fighters near a place where Follow can gather them without blocking Workers. Let the Queen stand where she can observe the entrance and retreat deeper if a hostile target approaches. Exact defensive geometry depends on the current map and combat behavior, so focus on visibility and two-way movement rather than a universal blueprint.
Recover from common nest problems
If eggs are blocked, return to depth and position checks. If Workers cannot leave, clear the narrowest part and move the Queen aside. If units scatter outside, cancel conflicting orders and regroup with Follow before redesigning the chamber. If attackers reach the doorway, do not let every defender chase beyond the Queen; keep a reserve near the entrance while Food continues.
When the nest feels irreparably crowded, stop spawning and restore one lane. Select a small group, move it out with Follow, and test the passage. Expansion is safer after traffic works than during a pileup.
Nest-building checklist
- Use the live dig marker for the chosen colony and map.
- Dig downward with the displayed interaction.
- Test egg placement from fully inside the chamber.
- Continue if the depth warning remains.
- Leave an entrance wide enough for two-way Worker movement.
- Give the Queen space away from the exact doorway.
- Create one Worker and verify a complete Food return.
- Expand one section at a time and retest the route.
- Stage fighters where they can defend without blocking production.
What still changes by update
No exact universal depth, tile count, or permanent layout is asserted here. Current evidence supports the marked dig start, an underground egg gate, and the value of a readable route. The exact amount of digging, whether terrain can be restored, and how different colonies or maps change the nest still need current in-game checks.
Use Food and Water after the first Worker spawns, or Protect the Queen when the nest is functional but exposed to combat.
Sources and confidence
The nest steps and depth warning are Community reported from a current screenshot-backed walkthrough. Worker Food purpose and the 5.4 pathfinding note are Official.