Last Updated: August 13, 2026
Introduction
Deepsea Dive is now open. For the live map route, early AI farm, Shell checkpoints, and offline defense swap, use my Deepsea Dive first-day plan. This page keeps the Grass trial math and the Pearl value comparison.
I used to treat Grass evolution as a Pinball grind and Gold Rush as a race toward the best middle tile. Both plans need an update.
Grass Tatari now have lower Pinball trial requirements. The two important numbers drop from 20,000 to 15,000 and from 60,000 to 45,000. Gold Rush also adds a large Pearl objective, shown as a clam or shell, that can award 160,000 league points at reset when it remains healthy.
A middle tile producing 3,960 points per hour earns 95,040 across 24 hours. A full Pearl pays 64,960 more at reset. I still want the middle, but I no longer abandon home to get it.
My quick answer
Here is how I am changing my plan:
- I budget 15,000 Pinballs for the lower Grass trial and 45,000 for the higher one.
- I exclude retroactive Pinball refunds from my resource math.
- I treat the 160,000-point Pearl as a reset objective, not background decoration.
- I defend the Pearl before stretching toward a contested middle tile.
- I test the new Dune Side shell rules before assuming old NPC farming still works.
For the Tatari side, I still choose the evolution by its skill and role. A cheaper bad project remains a bad project. My T1-to-T3 evolution priority plan covers that decision.
Grass evolution trials are 25 percent cheaper
The Grass Pinball reductions are clean:
- The lower trial changes from 20,000 to 15,000 and saves 5,000 Pinballs.
- The higher trial changes from 60,000 to 45,000 and saves 15,000 Pinballs.
Both requirements fall by 25 percent. Finishing both new requirements costs 60,000 Pinballs instead of 80,000, a total saving of 20,000.
I do not interpret that saving as permission to start every Grass evolution. I first check whether the evolved form fixes a chapter lane, opens a Dojo target, or earns a regular slot in Horde, Arena, or Gold Rush. If the Tatari stays on the bench, a cheaper trial only helps me waste resources faster. Impressive efficiency, terrible plan.
When I choose a Grass project, I activate the trial before a Pinball-heavy event. The same shots can earn event items, Energy Drinks, and normal machine rewards.
Why I am not planning around a refund
A 20,000-Pinball mail would be lovely. I am not putting it in my budget.
The old trial tracked Pinballs shot. It did not consume a private pile that existed only for evolution. Those shots also produced event progress, Gold Rush supplies, Tatari Party items, and normal machine rewards. Reducing the target does not erase what those earlier shots already earned.
Any compensation is a bonus after it arrives. Until then, I save from the new requirement. An imaginary refund cannot finish an evolution.
The Pearl changes my Gold Rush priority
The old opening was easy to understand. Push toward the middle because the best central tile showed 3,960 hourly output with its 20 percent bonus. Hold it all day and it produces:
3,960 x 24 = 95,040 league points
The new full-health Pearl objective can award 160,000 league points at reset. That is about 1.68 times one full day of the old middle output. The difference is 64,960 points.
I still contest strong hourly tiles. Several connected tiles can beat one objective. What changes is the order: secure the Pearl route, preserve its health, then spend attacks on mid.
The Pearl display also uses reward bands. A full objective shows 100 percent value. Damaged states can reduce it to 70 percent and then 40 percent, while a failed defense can remove the payout. Those bands represent 112,000 and 64,000 points. I will verify the exact health breakpoints in live matches.
My reset defense plan
I work backward from reset instead of spending every attack early.
First, I ask which Pearl and approach tiles matter. Random border expansion can leave the valuable route open. I keep Energy Drinks for the final defense window and put stronger players on attacks that restore access. Developing accounts can hold safer tiles or join rallies.
During the last hours, I compare two losses. Losing a 3,960-per-hour tile with two hours left costs about 7,920 points. Letting a full Pearl fall from 100 percent value to 40 percent risks 96,000 points. That comparison makes my target obvious.
My Gold Rush offense formation guide handles the actual player battles. For map play, the Pearl comes first whenever its threatened payout is larger than the remaining hourly income elsewhere.
The new map is fairer than it looks
Some sides appear to have more small mines because the shapes differ. I count output, not icons. One square can equal two rectangular pieces, and the revised layout removes old holes that protected certain routes. I compare tile values before deciding another color received an advantage.
What I still need to test in Dune Side
The shown underwater Dune Side layout places eight leagues around the corners and replaces the truck focus with shell objectives. A first takeover can show Pinballs and Capsules. The league leader can reserve a displayed 360,000-point daily harvest after occupation.
The open question is NPC farming. The old truck gave repeatable NPC rallies, kills, merit, and Pinballs. The new layout looks focused on fighting other leagues. I will not call the truck loop dead before testing it.
I also need to test whether reducing an enemy Pearl to zero transfers control, unlocks its harvest, or only denies the defending league. Those are three very different reasons to attack. My Dune Side low-loss formation remains useful for consecutive player fights, but its NPC route requires a new check.
My first-round checklist
I will record six things during the first full round:
- The exact Pearl health thresholds for 70 and 40 percent rewards.
- Whether damage persists until reset or can be repaired.
- Whether destroying an enemy Pearl captures it or only cancels its payout.
- Who can claim or reserve the 360,000 Dune Side harvest.
- Whether any repeatable NPC target replaces the old truck.
- How many Energy Drinks a late Pearl defense costs compared with holding mid.
One round of notes will beat a week of confident guessing.
Mistakes I am avoiding
- Starting a Grass evolution only because the trial became cheaper.
- Waiting for a refund that has not arrived.
- Spending all Pinballs before activating the correct Grass trial.
- Sending every strong account to mid while the Pearl loses a reward band.
- Comparing mine shapes without comparing total output.
- Assuming an enemy Pearl becomes mine at zero health.
- Promising the old Dune Side NPC farm before testing the new board.
Final take
The Grass reduction saves real time: 5,000 Pinballs on the lower task and 15,000 on the higher one. I will use that discount on Tatari I already planned to evolve, not turn it into a shopping spree.
Gold Rush asks for a bigger habit change. Mid still matters, but a healthy Pearl can be worth more than 24 hours on one 3,960-point tile. I am saving attacks for reset, protecting the high-value route, and measuring the live reward bands before I chase territory for the sake of a pretty map.
FAQ
What are the new Grass evolution trial requirements?
The lower Grass Pinball trial drops from 20,000 to 15,000. The higher trial drops from 60,000 to 45,000. Each requirement is 25 percent lower.
Will players receive a Pinball refund?
I exclude refunds from my evolution budget. Earlier Pinball shots also awarded event progress and machine rewards, so any future compensation is an extra after it arrives.
How many points does the new Gold Rush Pearl give?
A full-health Pearl objective can award 160,000 league points at reset. Damaged reward bands can show 70 or 40 percent value, and a failed defense can lose the payout.
Is the Gold Rush middle still worth taking?
Yes, but I compare its remaining hourly value with the Pearl payout at risk. A 3,960-per-hour middle tile produces 95,040 across 24 hours, less than a full 160,000-point Pearl reward.
Should my league defend the Pearl before the middle?
I defend the Pearl first when losing its next reward band costs more than the middle can produce before reset. In the last two hours, one 3,960 tile is worth about 7,920 points, while a drop from full value to 40 percent risks 96,000.
Can I still farm NPC trucks in Dune Side?
The shown underwater layout focuses on shell objectives and player territory. It does not confirm a repeatable NPC target replacing the old truck, so I will test that interaction before planning merit and Pinball income around it.