Conquer Virus Brutal Mode: A Comprehensive Plague Inc. Strategy Guide

Plague Inc. is a strategic simulation game where you aim to infect and eradicate the world with a custom-designed pathogen. While the game starts off relatively easy, the difficulty ramps up significantly, especially on Brutal mode. The Virus, known for its rapid mutation rate, poses a unique challenge. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step strategy to help you conquer Virus Brutal mode in Plague Inc.

## Understanding the Virus’s Strengths and Weaknesses

The Virus excels at mutating quickly and uncontrollably. This can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, random mutations can grant you powerful symptoms for infection and lethality. On the other hand, it can also lead to premature detection by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a swift cure development. Therefore, managing the mutation rate is crucial.

**Strengths:**

* **Rapid Mutation:** The Virus naturally gains mutation points, leading to faster symptom evolution.
* **Potential for Early Infection:** Some mutations can lead to a quicker spread early in the game.

**Weaknesses:**

* **Unpredictable Mutations:** Random mutations can hinder your progress by revealing your plague too early.
* **Increased Cure Research:** High visibility due to mutations leads to faster cure progress.

## Pre-Game Setup: Genes Selection

Before starting the game, selecting the right genes can significantly increase your chances of success. Here’s a recommended gene setup:

* **DNA Gene (Metabolic Jump):** Provides a starting boost to your DNA points, crucial for early evolution.
* **Travel Gene (Aquacyte):** Increases infectivity by sea, vital for spreading your plague across the globe quickly.
* **Evolution Gene (Sympto-Stasis):** Reduces the cost of devolving symptoms, helping to control unwanted mutations and keep the cure at bay.
* **Mutation Gene (Genetic Mimic):** Makes your plague harder to cure by increasing the difficulty of research, particularly important against the aggressive cure development on Brutal.
* **Environment Gene (Extremophile):** Gives a bonus to infectivity in all environments or choose a specific environment bonus based on where you want to start. For this guide, using a general Extremophile is better because the mutations of the virus can often make you reliant on spreading in unexpected conditions. Starting in India or Saudi Arabia provides a solid balance of population density and climate diversity.

## Early Game (0-50% Infection):

This phase focuses on discreetly infecting a large portion of the world’s population before the WHO takes serious notice. Prioritize infectivity and transmission.

**Step 1: Initial Evolution**

Start by evolving these transmissions:

* **Water 1:** Increases infectivity through water transmission.
* **Air 1:** Increases infectivity through air transmission.
* **Rodent 1:** Improves infectivity in urban environments and through rodents. This is particularly helpful in densely populated areas.

**Step 2: Focus on Infectivity**

Continue evolving transmission abilities, focusing on global reach:

* **Water 2:** Further enhances waterborne transmission.
* **Air 2:** Further enhances airborne transmission.
* **Rodent 2:** Maximizes rodent transmission effectiveness.
* **Livestock 1:** Improves transmission from animals to humans.
* **Insect 1:** Improves transmission from insects to humans.

**Step 3: Address Climate Challenges**

Depending on your starting location and the spread, evolve traits that boost infectivity in different climates:

* **Cold Resistance 1:** Increases infectivity in cold climates (Canada, Russia, Greenland).
* **Heat Resistance 1:** Increases infectivity in hot climates (Africa, Middle East, South America).
* **Drug Resistance 1:** Slows down detection by the WHO.

Prioritize the resistance that addresses the most problematic climates first.

**Step 4: Symptom Management**

As the Virus mutates, you’ll gain symptoms randomly. Do NOT devolve everything. Instead, only devolve symptoms that cause high severity or lethality early on. Symptoms like Coughing, Sneezing, and Skin Lesions are fine and even helpful. Devolve symptoms like Fever, Pneumonia, Paralysis or Insanity as soon as they appear because these cause the cure progress to increase too quickly. Use the Sympto-Stasis gene to reduce the cost of devolving.

**Step 5: Monitor Spread and Adapt**

Keep a close eye on the world map. Watch for countries that remain uninfected or have low infection rates. Evolve corresponding resistance traits (Cold, Heat, Drug) and potentially Bird 1, Bird 2, Insect 2, or Livestock 2 to address these gaps.

## Mid-Game (50-90% Infection):

The focus shifts to ensuring complete global infection while subtly increasing severity without triggering a full-scale cure effort. Continue focusing on infectivity and start building resistance against the cure.

**Step 6: Maximize Infectivity**

Finish maximizing your transmission abilities:

* **Bird 1 & 2:** Enhances bird transmission.
* **Insect 2:** Further enhances insect transmission.
* **Livestock 2:** Further enhances livestock transmission.
* **Extreme Zoonosis:** Greatly increases infectivity via animals. This ability becomes available after leveling up Bird, Insect, and Livestock transmissions. This is very expensive so it’s best to do so once you have a large surplus of DNA points.

**Step 7: Cure Resistance**

Start investing in cure resistance:

* **Drug Resistance 2:** Further slows down cure progress.
* **Genetic Hardening 1:** Makes the cure harder to research.
* **Genetic Hardening 2:** Further makes the cure harder to research. This is a critical ability for Brutal mode.
* **Genetic Shift 1:** Slightly reduces cure progress and makes the cure harder to research.
* **Genetic Shift 2:** Reduces cure progress more and makes the cure harder to research even more.

These abilities provide a buffer against the relentless cure development on Brutal mode.

**Step 8: Subtle Severity Increase**

Allow some less noticeable, non-lethal symptoms to evolve naturally. Aim for symptoms that contribute to infectivity or slow down the world’s response without causing mass panic:

* **Sneezing:** Increases infectivity and slightly raises severity.
* **Coughing:** Increases infectivity and slightly raises severity.
* **Skin Lesions:** Increases infectivity, particularly through scratching and contact.
* **Sweating:** Mild symptom that can contribute to transmission in warmer climates.

Continue to devolve dangerous symptoms like Fever, Paralysis, Total Organ Failure, and Insanity

**Step 9: Monitor Cure Progress**

Regularly check the cure progress in the Cure tab. If it starts accelerating rapidly (above 20-30%), invest in more Cure Resistance abilities (Genetic Hardening, Genetic Shift) or devolve recently mutated, highly visible symptoms.

## Late Game (90-100% Infection):

Once nearly everyone is infected, unleash the lethality of your Virus and ensure the eradication of humanity before a cure can be developed. This is a race against time.

**Step 10: Unleash Lethality**

Now that the world is fully infected, evolve lethal symptoms:

* **Insanity:** Increases severity and can lead to erratic behavior.
* **Paralysis:** Increases severity and restricts movement.
* **Seizures:** Increases severity and causes incapacitation.
* **Coma:** Increases severity and further incapacitates victims.
* **Total Organ Failure:** Extremely lethal and rapidly kills infected individuals. This is a key symptom for ending the game.

Evolve these symptoms in quick succession to maximize their impact.

**Step 11: Maximize Severity**

Continue evolving symptoms that contribute to lethality and severity:

* **Systemic Infection:** Amplifies the effects of other symptoms.
* **Hemorrhagic Shock:** Causes internal bleeding and rapidly increases lethality.
* **Necrosis:** Causes tissue death and increases lethality.
* **Pulmonary Edema:** Fluid in the lungs, leading to respiratory failure.

**Step 12: Counter Cure Efforts**

If the cure progress is still a threat, invest in:

* **Genetic ReShuffle 1, 2, & 3:** Significantly reduces cure progress and makes it harder to research. Use these as a last resort if the cure is progressing too quickly despite your other efforts.

**Step 13: Monitor and Adapt**

Keep a close eye on the number of healthy people remaining and the cure progress. Prioritize symptoms that accelerate deaths. Use Genetic ReShuffle if necessary.

## General Tips for Virus Brutal Mode

* **Be Patient:** Don’t rush into evolving lethal symptoms too early. Focus on discreet infection first.
* **Manage Mutations:** Regularly monitor and devolve harmful mutations. Sympto-Stasis gene is very important.
* **Adapt to Circumstances:** Be flexible and adjust your strategy based on how the game unfolds. There is no single perfect path to victory.
* **Save DNA:** Don’t spend DNA points unnecessarily. Save them for crucial abilities like Cure Resistance, Genetic Hardening, and lethal symptoms.
* **Start Smart:** Choose a starting location that is densely populated and has a good mix of climate conditions to help get a solid foundation for your virus. India or Saudi Arabia work very well.
* **Pay Attention to News:** Read the news ticker. This can give you insight into global events that might impact your plague’s spread or cure progress.
* **Target Wealthy Countries Late:** Wealthy countries invest heavily in cure research, so it is ideal to target them for infection late in the game to give them as little time as possible to devote to a cure.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

* **Evolving Lethal Symptoms Too Early:** This will trigger a global response and accelerate cure research.
* **Ignoring Cure Resistance:** Neglecting cure resistance will result in a quick defeat.
* **Spending DNA Points Recklessly:** Conserve DNA for essential abilities.
* **Ignoring Climate Factors:** Failing to adapt to different climates will hinder your spread.
* **Not Devolving High Severity/Lethality Symptoms Early:** Devolve symptoms that have a high severity or lethality rate at the beginning of the game to avoid detection from the WHO.

## Starting Country Advice

* **India:** Densely populated, warm climate, and good access to land, air, and sea routes. A strong starting point.
* **Saudi Arabia:** Hot climate, access to air and sea routes, and close proximity to Europe and Asia. Also a good starting point.
* **China:** Extremely high population, but can be challenging due to its climate diversity. Suitable for experienced players.

## Adapting to Different Scenarios

* **High Cure Progress:** Invest heavily in Genetic Hardening, Genetic Shift, and Genetic ReShuffle. Devolve recently mutated symptoms.
* **Slow Infection Rate in Cold Climates:** Evolve Cold Resistance 1 and 2.
* **Slow Infection Rate in Hot Climates:** Evolve Heat Resistance 1 and 2.
* **Slow Infection Rate in Wealthy Countries:** Improve your infectivity in urban environments via Rodent transmissions. Consider targeting these countries with specific transmission vectors like Air or Water.

## Conclusion

Beating Virus Brutal mode in Plague Inc. requires a strategic approach, careful planning, and adaptability. By focusing on discreet infection, managing mutations, investing in cure resistance, and unleashing lethality at the right moment, you can successfully eradicate humanity and achieve victory. Good luck, and may your plague reign supreme!