Ground Squadron Expansion

Ground Squadron Expansion increases the number of ground combat units that Icarus and the Battlefield Analysis Base can operate. It is a progression upgrade with multiple levels, and its effect changes by level: some levels increase the number of drones that can be assigned to a single ground squadron, while others increase the number of ground squadrons that can be deployed. The Battlefield Analysis Base receives only the former type of bonus, so its total squadron count does not increase from this upgrade.

At the starting state, Icarus can field 4 ground squadrons with 1 slot each, for 4 total slots, once Prototype is unlocked. The upgrade then scales as follows:

• Level 1: +2 squadron slots, for 6 total slots across 1 squadron
• Level 2: +2 squadron slots, for 8 total slots across 1 squadron
• Level 3: +1 squadron, for 2 squadrons and 16 total slots
• Level 4: +4 squadron slots, for 12 total slots across 2 squadrons
• Level 5: +2 squadrons, for 4 squadrons and 48 total slots
• Level 6: +2 squadrons, for 6 squadrons and 72 total slots
• Level 7: +2 squadrons, for 8 squadrons and 96 total slots

The upgrade alternates between expanding per-squadron capacity and expanding the number of available squadrons, so its value depends on how ground combat is being used. If the goal is to increase the size of a single deployment package, the slot-increase levels are the relevant ones. If the goal is to field more separate squadrons at once, the squadron-count levels are the key breakpoints. Because the Battlefield Analysis Base only benefits from increased squadron slots, its scaling is more limited than Icarus’s and follows only the capacity increases.

In practice, Ground Squadron Expansion is the core progression path for making ground combat more flexible. Early levels improve the size of each squadron, while later levels greatly expand how many squadrons can be active simultaneously, which is what drives the large jumps in total slot count.