Hive Mosquito Expansion – The Wild Card Piece

The Ultimate Versatile Piece for Your Hive Game

The Hive Mosquito Expansion introduces the most adaptable and unpredictable piece in the entire Hive board game system. Often described as the “wild card” of Hive, the Mosquito expansion has no movement ability of its own—instead, it mimics the movement of ANY adjacent piece it touches, constantly changing its abilities throughout the game. This remarkable versatility makes the Mosquito one of the most strategically complex and tactically flexible pieces, capable of surprising opponents and creating unexpected tactical opportunities.

Requires: Hive Standard Edition base game (sold separately)
Number of Players: 2 players
Recommended Age: 9 years and up
Average Game Time: 20 minutes
Tile Size: 38mm (1.5″) across – Full standard size matching Hive
Color: Multi-colored to match standard Hive aesthetic

What Makes the Mosquito Special?

The Mosquito expansion piece is completely unique in Hive—it has no inherent movement ability of its own. Instead, at the start of each move, the Mosquito looks at which pieces it’s touching and can choose to copy the movement pattern of ANY of those adjacent insects, whether they’re friendly or enemy pieces. This means the Mosquito’s capabilities are constantly changing based on its position in the hive.

Imagine the possibilities: In one turn, your Mosquito is next to a Soldier Ant and can move anywhere around the hive’s perimeter. Next turn, after repositioning, it’s adjacent to a Grasshopper and can jump over pieces. The turn after that, it’s touching a Beetle and can climb on top of the hive. This ever-changing versatility makes the Mosquito incredibly difficult for opponents to predict and plan around.

How the Mosquito Works

Basic Mechanic: At the start of your move, check which pieces are adjacent to your Mosquito. You may then move the Mosquito using the movement pattern of ANY one of those adjacent pieces.

Key Rules:

Mimics Any Adjacent Piece: The Mosquito can copy the movement of friendly OR enemy pieces—it doesn’t matter which color the adjacent piece is.

Changes Every Turn: The Mosquito’s available movements change based on its current position. After moving, it may be adjacent to completely different pieces, giving it new movement options.

Beetle Exception: If the Mosquito climbs on top of the hive (by copying a Beetle’s movement), it STAYS as a Beetle until it climbs back down to ground level—even if it’s no longer touching any Beetles.

Mosquito-to-Mosquito Rule: If a Mosquito is ONLY touching another Mosquito (and no other pieces), it cannot move at all. Each Mosquito only copies pieces directly adjacent to itself—it cannot copy abilities through another Mosquito.

Pillbug Interaction: When the Pillbug expansion is in play, the Mosquito can copy BOTH the Pillbug’s movement (one space) AND its special ability (relocating adjacent pieces).

Stacked Pieces: If a Mosquito is adjacent to a stack of pieces (like a Beetle sitting on top of another piece), the Mosquito treats the stack as a Beetle for copying purposes.

Strategic Applications

Offensive Uses:

• Surprise Attacks: Copy a Soldier Ant to suddenly reach distant attacking positions
• Quick Strikes: Mimic a Grasshopper to jump over defensive formations and threaten the Queen
• Aerial Assault: Copy a Ladybug (if in play) to climb over the hive and drop near the enemy Queen
• Blocking: Mimic a Beetle to climb on top of key enemy pieces and immobilize them
• Flexible Positioning: Constantly adapt your attack strategy based on which pieces are nearby

Defensive Uses:

• Quick Escapes: Copy fast-moving pieces like Ants to retreat from dangerous positions
• Defensive Positioning: Mimic Spiders to precisely position yourself for optimal defense
• Counter-Attacks: React to enemy threats by copying the movement type that best addresses the situation
• Board Control: Use the Mosquito’s versatility to control multiple strategic positions

Advanced Tactics:

• Multi-Turn Combos: Plan several moves ahead by positioning the Mosquito next to specific pieces for future turns
• Unpredictable Play: Keep opponents guessing by having multiple movement options available
• Adaptive Strategy: Change your tactical approach mid-game by repositioning the Mosquito near different piece types
• Pillbug Synergy: When combined with the Pillbug expansion, the Mosquito becomes even more powerful by copying piece manipulation abilities
• Ladybug Combinations: Position the Mosquito near Ladybugs to gain climbing abilities when needed

Why Add the Mosquito to Standard Hive?

Ultimate Versatility: The Mosquito is the most flexible piece in Hive, giving you multiple strategic options every turn based on board position.

Strategic Depth: The ever-changing nature of the Mosquito adds layers of complexity that reward careful planning and tactical thinking.

Unpredictability: Opponents must consider multiple possible movements for your Mosquito, making it harder to plan their strategy.

Adapts to Your Style: Whether you play aggressively or defensively, the Mosquito can adapt to support your preferred strategy.

Works with All Expansions: The Mosquito becomes even more powerful when combined with other expansion pieces—it can mimic Ladybug climbs and Pillbug relocations.

Tournament Essential: Competitive Hive players consider the Mosquito essential for advanced play. It’s included in Hive Pocket, Hive Carbon, and Hive Ultimate editions by default.

Colorful Design: Features the same vibrant, multi-colored aesthetic as your standard Hive game—integrates seamlessly with existing pieces.

Called “The Wild Card”: Like a wild card in poker, the Mosquito can become whatever you need it to be at any given moment.

What’s in the Box

2 Premium Bakelite Hexagonal Mosquito Tiles:

• 1 White/Cream Mosquito piece with colored markings
• 1 Black Mosquito piece with colored markings

Also Includes:

• Illustrated rules leaflet with detailed Mosquito movement examples
• Mimicking ability explanations and special cases
• Strategic tips for optimal Mosquito usage
• Clear diagrams showing how to copy adjacent pieces

Each Mosquito tile measures 38mm (1.5 inches) across and 12mm thick—identical to your standard Hive game pieces. The tiles are crafted from premium, durable Bakelite with raised insect designs and distinctive color-coding, ensuring they match perfectly with your existing Hive collection in both size and quality. The multi-colored design integrates seamlessly with the standard Hive’s vibrant aesthetic.

Who Needs the Mosquito Expansion?

This expansion piece is essential for versatile players who adapt their strategy mid-game, tactical thinkers who enjoy complex decision trees, players who want maximum strategic flexibility, Hive enthusiasts seeking tournament-level competitive options, anyone building a complete expansion collection, and experienced players who have mastered basic Hive pieces. If you enjoy having multiple options and keeping opponents guessing, the Mosquito expansion transforms gameplay by adding unprecedented adaptability.

Recommended Purchase Order: Most experienced players suggest buying expansions in this order: 1) Ladybug (adds mobility), 2) Mosquito (adds versatility – this product), 3) Pillbug (adds defense). The Mosquito is typically the second expansion purchase after the Ladybug.

Official North American Distributor – Authentic Gen42 Games Product
Note: Requires Hive Standard Edition base game. Not compatible with Hive Pocket or Hive Carbon (those editions include the Mosquito in the base game).