- Bee Swarm Simulator Illumina: The ultimate weapon in the Retro Swarm Challenge, costing 1,500 bricks and dealing massive damage.
- Buying Order: Prioritize swords (Classic > Firebrand > Illumina) before investing heavily in bees or food.
- Early Game Strategy: Start with 3 bees, then focus entirely on brick collection and sword upgrades to one-shot early mobs.
- Survival Mechanic: Use the Brick Trowel after round 14 to create defensive walls and stall mob progression.
- Buff Priority: Purchase all four food items (Bloxy A, Cola, Cheeseburger, Pizza) for critical attack and pollen boosts.
The Retro Swarm Challenge Strategy
The Retro Swarm Challenge in bee swarm simulator is a high-intensity mini-game that rewards players with unique items like Marshmallow Bees. Success in this mode hinges on your ability to manage resources—specifically bricks—to upgrade your combat capabilities. Unlike the main game where bees do most of the work, this challenge emphasizes player-controlled combat and strategic purchasing.
Video Highlights:
- Initial Setup: Buy exactly 3 bees to start, then pivot to sword upgrades immediately.
- The Illumina Power: Why the Illumina is the most efficient brick investment for mid-round dominance.
- Resource Management: Techniques for farming bricks from flowers and mobs without taking damage.
- Late Game Transition: When to stop buying gear and start filling your hive with bees for the final rounds.
The bee swarm simulator illumina sword is considered the "meta" choice because it deals approximately 1,000 damage. This allows you to one-shot almost every mob encountered through Round 9, drastically increasing your brick farming efficiency.
Weapon Tier List and Comparison
In the Retro Swarm Challenge, your sword is your primary tool for brick generation. Bricks are dropped by mobs and found in brick blooms; however, killing mobs quickly is the fastest way to accumulate wealth. You must upgrade your sword in a specific sequence to maintain your "one-shot" capability as mob health scales.
| Weapon Name | Brick Cost | Damage Output | Best Usage Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Sword | 100 Bricks | Low | Rounds 1-2 (Initial clearing) |
| Firebrand | 300 Bricks | ~200 Damage | Rounds 3-5 (Zombies/Slimes) |
| Illumina | 1,500 Bricks | ~1,000 Damage | Rounds 6-15 (Elite mobs) |
Always drag your new sword into the first slot of your hotbar. This allows you to switch instantly between your collection tool and your weapon using number keys, ensuring you don't miss a single mob spawn.
While the Firebrand is a significant upgrade over the Classic Sword, it is merely a stepping stone. You should save your bricks aggressively after getting the Firebrand to reach the 1,500 required for the Illumina as soon as possible.
Optimal Buying Order Walkthrough
Following a strict purchasing sequence is the difference between failing at Round 10 and reaching Round 20. Many players make the mistake of buying too many bees early on, which slows down their ability to acquire the bee swarm simulator illumina.
The Three-Bee Start
Immediately buy your first 3 bees. Do not buy any more until much later. These bees provide just enough support to clear Round 1 while you focus on breaking brick blooms.
Sword Progression
Buy the Classic Sword (100 bricks) followed by the Firebrand (300 bricks). Use the Firebrand to farm zombies in Round 3, which are the easiest source of bricks.
The Illumina Rush
Save 1,500 bricks. Do not spend on anything else. Once you equip the Illumina, you can solo clear most mobs, allowing your teammates to focus on their own upgrades.
Buff and Utility Phase
After Illumina, purchase the four food items (Bloxy A, Cola, Cheeseburger, Pizza) in that order. The Pizza is the most expensive but provides the highest attack buff.
Defensive Transition
Buy the Brick Trowel. Start placing walls between rounds to stall mobs. Only now should you spend all remaining bricks on maxing out your bee count.
Buying bees before you have the Illumina is a "trap" strategy. Bees are expensive and their damage scaling in the early rounds is inferior to the raw power of the Illumina sword.
Consumables and Stat Boosts
Once your weaponry is maximized, consumables provide the necessary percentage-based buffs to survive the massive health pools of Round 15+ mobs. These items are found at the end of the shop and should be purchased as soon as the Illumina is secured.
| Item Name | Primary Benefit | Strategy Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Bloxy A | Pollen/Attack Boost | Cheapest buff, buy first |
| Bloxy Cola | Health/Speed Boost | Increases survivability |
| Cheeseburger | Medium Attack Boost | Essential for Round 12+ |
| Pizza | Massive Attack Boost | The most broken buff in the game |
Brick Trowel Utility
The Trowel is essential for late-game crowd control. Place walls in the path of slimes to bunch them up, making them easier to hit with the Illumina's swing radius.
Coconut Shield
If you have the Coconut Belt, your shield will periodically activate. Use these 10 seconds of invulnerability to dive into the center of mob swarms and shred them.
If you possess a Supreme Star Amulet with the Saw Star passive, it is incredibly effective here. It allows you to damage mobs while simultaneously collecting bricks from the ground.
Round Milestones and Survival Checklist
The difficulty in the Retro Swarm Challenge spikes at specific intervals. Round 14 and Round 20 are the primary "gatekeeper" rounds where most teams fail if they haven't followed the Illumina rush strategy.
Survival Checklist:
- Obtain Illumina by the end of Round 5
- Purchase all 4 food buffs by Round 13
- Equip the Brick Trowel before Round 14
- Reach 25 Marshmallow Bees (Update limit)
- Maintain a full team of 4 for Round 19+
| Round Range | Mob Types | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds 1-5 | Zombies / Slimes | Farm bricks, rush Firebrand |
| Rounds 6-10 | Elite Zombies | One-shot everything with Illumina |
| Rounds 11-15 | Giant Slime Hordes | Use Trowel walls and Pizza buff |
| Rounds 16-20 | High-Level Mobs | Max bees, use Saw Star/Coconut Shield |
This strategy works best if the entire team follows the same path. Four players with Illumina swords can clear Round 10 instantly, leaving more time to farm honey and brick blooms between waves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I buy the Illumina before buying more bees?
The Illumina deals 1,000 damage, which is significantly higher than the combined DPS of early-game bees. It allows you to clear waves faster and farm more bricks, which eventually lets you buy better bees anyway.
Q: What is the best way to use the Brick Trowel?
Place walls in narrow chokepoints where mobs spawn. This stalls their movement, allowing your bees and your Illumina swings to hit multiple targets at once without you taking damage.
Q: Can I use Field Dice or Glitter in the Retro Challenge?
Glitter works to boost field stats, but Field Dice do not work in this mini-game. Stick to using items that provide direct attack or pollen buffs.
Q: How do I get Marshmallow Bees from this challenge?
Marshmallow Bees are rewarded for reaching higher rounds (typically Round 20+). You can collect up to 25 of them before the event update ends.