Effective Combat Units
From Beyond Protocol
Contents |
Space Defense Turrets
These turrets of the stars can be used in one of three ways. The first is the most common and basic of the three setups, the Defense Ring. This setup consists of between eight and ten of these turrets in a ring formation around your planet to add maximum exposure to the targets. The turrets will be armed with between one and four weapons. You may add additional weapons as deemed necessary. This setup also comes with two variations offensive and defensive.
The defensive version is there to defend your home world or potentially a very valuable group of space stations. The offensive scenario is one of a blockade strategy. This takes a little more effort. The overall plan is to have a fleet of cargo ships with the appropriate amount of resources in a battle group with eight to ten engineers. This will allow you to build the ring in one go and if the enemy finds out it also allows you to have back up to help finish the job. It is advised to have an escort of some kind just in case.
The second, is the Four corner approach. This setup allows for numerous planets to be covered in one System, but also takes some skill in placement. The skill comes into play because the placement must be at the detection range of the turret while at the same time the turrets must be angled in a way that they can help protect each other. While it is important for the previous set up as well, in this version it is crucial. Furthermore, for this setup it is recommended to use weapons that have area of effect damage to maximize damage output. However, with this being said it is also advised that if you do use area of effect damage to reduce your visible radar range by at least five in order to avoid hitting your other turrets.
The third setup is unique and if done correctly can definitely put your enemy in a bind. This setup is known as the Hornet’s Nest. This strategy replaces the stationary weapons with fighters. Ensure when using this strategy that you set all turrets to “launch all children” in the orders menu for the structure, otherwise the outcome will be disastrous. This strategy has multiple variations of execution and really it comes down to the empire’s willingness to experiment to find out which ones are the most useful.
Another variation is an IED setup. This setup is to destroy convoys of resources. Essentially to use this variation effectively you need to scout your System fairly well. Simply put a few turrets along the route and set the orders and forget it. Now the question some will ask is why not just park the fighters there? Well two reasons this is a better way to go. First, you are not wasting Command Points because they will be docked. Secondly, your fighters will be more secure from an initial attack, or in general if you decide to change the orders, due to the armor bonus.
Tip
Space defense turrets are worth one Facility Point (FP) and have a max hull size of 11,200. Furthermore, they get an armor bonus of 1000% (10x) and a range bonus of 1.1 times your visible range. In addition they can have a shield very early, which compared to most other structures is unthinkable till mid to late game. If all that wasn’t enough, assuming you can pull it off you are allowed to place up to twenty individual weapon slots.
Using Fighters
The Fighter class is the smallest set of units in the game. The different classes of Fighters give a wide selection of size, appearance, and strategy to the player. A result of their tiny size is a lack of armor and structural integrity. Do not expect a single stationary Fighter to last against a Corvette, much less a Destroyer, for very long. Many weapons mounted on the likes of a Destroyer are easily capable of disintegrating a Fighter with one or two hits. However, the maximum maneuverability is much higher with a Fighter than any other class of ship, giving them a lower chance of being hit by such weapons when in flight. This means they can be very useful in diverting the more deadly weapons of a larger ship away from your more vulnerable capital ships.
Their small size makes them easy to load into a carrier ship. While Command Points limit the amount of ships active in an environment, carriers full of Fighters allow you be ready to join the fight at a moment’s notice. In addition, their small size makes production costs low compared to those of larger ships. Therefore, producing hundreds or thousands of these is not a problem for most empires. Fighters are also the only units capable of targeting components, this allows them to disable enemy ships in a variety of ways (see table below). Remember that you must be on the side of the target in which the component is located in order to disable it.
| Target | Effect |
|---|---|
| Engines | Stops target from moving, units in a planets atmosphere will be destroyed. |
| Hangars | The hangar and all units inside it are destroyed. |
| Radars | Weapons will be unable to fire, and their radar range will be reduced to 1. |
| Shields | Shield HP is reduced to 0 and becomes unable to recharge. |
| Weapons | Weapons in that arc are destroyed and unable to fire. |
Finally, the most important reason to use Fighters is their special ability of targeting specific components on an enemy ship. This allows them to score critical hits against components even through armor and shields. If you think about what happens to a ship in an atmosphere without engines, or a ship floating alone in space without a radar, this becomes a very valuable weapon against a fleet that may outnumber or out-tech yours. In the behavioral window, you can set them to target engines. When attacking a fleet, radar or weapons may be your objective. When raiding a cargo convoy, the cargo bay may be a prime target. If you spot a carrier ship, target the hangar to disable the doors and prevent reinforcements. This will only destroy the doors and not the ships inside, but without those ships to join the fight, that carrier is probably an easy target.
While the damage per second, or total armor, may not be as high as those found on Corvettes, Destroyers, or battleships, when used correctly Fighters can be just as dangerous.
| Fighter Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Light Class | The “Light” class is best suited for scouting or fodder roles. At a range of 40-90 hull size, these little units are not suited for combat. If used for combat a great deal of Command Points are occupied to inflict a relatively low amount of damage. |
| Medium Class | The “Medium” class Fighter ranges from 70-140 hull size and can be used for swarm and dogfight tactics. These units have enough space to be decent in combat and can still be loaded quite easily into a carrier. |
| Heavy Class | The “Heavy” Fighter class. They are the biggest variety, with a range of 135-300 hull size. On the negative side, they are the hardest to research effectively and designing an engine for this size ship can be tricky, or take a large amount of time. If you are looking for a quick replacement to the beginning Fighter, this is probably not it, but if you are looking to make the Fighter that will turn the tide of a fight, your research begins here! This cast has the only Fighter hull with an all arc - a tactical plus. It is also the cast most capable of surviving the direct weapons fire of bigger ships. |
Escorts
The Escort and Corvette classes are the smaller of the fleet units. While their size may cause them to be overlooked, any leader who wants to fully capitalize on their fleet would be wise to take notice.
Escorts are quite a few times larger than Fighters, but much smaller than Corvettes. Their hull sizes range from 1,200 to 2,700. They are small enough to utilize almost as much maneuverability as a Fighter, but are large enough to carry weaponry that is more powerful. As their name implies, these units are often just the right size for escorting cargo routes or scouting parties. They are more than adequate when armed. An Escort with far-reaching radar, a large cargo bay and better-than-Fighter class weapons, can reduce overall Command Points by filling multiple roles at the same time.
You will find Escorts easy to build, requiring fewer resources and less research time than larger ships. They are small enough to be loaded into a carrier vessel in a fair enough quantity. While these vessels are meant to be maneuverable enough to outmaneuver larger weapon’s fire they do not possess the staying power to take multiple direct hits from larger class ships. Ordinarily, the key to designing an effective Escort is to go heavy on speed and maneuverability, while including enough firepower and armor to tackle smaller units. If used against larger vessels, do not generally expect the Escort to be capable of doing much more than harassing the enemy.
Corvettes
Corvettes are a staple in any well-assembled fleet. They are the balance between armor, firepower, and maneuverability. While they possess a significant number of weapon mounts compared to other ships their size, they are also small enough to maintain maneuverability in sufficient quantity to respond quickly in dogfights or surprise attack situations. A typical Corvette design balances firepower and maneuverability while filling any free space with armor. They can take a considerable amount of fire from a Destroyer before yielding.
The greatest quality of the Corvette is that they are the largest class of combat ship capable of planet fall. While there are several frigates and transports not adversely affected by an atmosphere, they do not possess the sheer destructive potential of the Corvette class. However, the downside to any larger ship is its docking capability. Corvettes, and larger ships, require custom Star Ports and carriers with doors large enough to accommodate them – an important specification to keep in mind when designing/building a star port or space station. In addition, their size makes it difficult to amass many of these units in the same hangar, meaning that unless you have access to very large ships or you use a large hangar building, the Command Point cost of a Corvette fleet is difficult to reduce through docking.
Destroyers
The Destroyer class represents the space commander’s smallest capital class ship. They are the best way to bulk up a fleet without investing huge amounts of minerals and time. The Destroyer is also a symbol of higher development, because it is only available to more advanced civilizations. However, utilizing the raw size of these ships, compared to beginning units, comes at a price.
Destroyers can range from 32,000 to 44,000 hull size. The engines for these ships can be somewhat mineral intensive, but compared to the rest of the capital ships, Destroyers are the most economic of them all. In general, the Destroyer engine should be rather high in power and rather low in maneuverability. Remember, you are designing a battle platform, not a sports car. There are several options for hulls in this class that include the all arc, allowing you to compensate for the Destroyer’s low maneuverability by mounting appropriate weapons capable of neutralizing agile targets.
As you can guess by the name, Destroyers are meant to possess an awesome capability of destroying things! They are capable of mounting as many weapons as a planet side building, while having plenty of room left over for armor. They are therefore very dangerous when designed correctly. Taking advantage of these units has a price that is twofold. The first may already have been paid depending on your situation as an empire. In order to build vessels of this magnitude, you must first have a space station capable of building them, which can be a large undertaking in time, credits and resources itself. (Remember, when building a space station, inevitably, GNS will gain word of its approximate location). The second price to pay is that of being restricted to space combat. Destroyers, and all ships larger than this class, are so massive that they cannot function properly inside the gravitational field of a planet.
Besides their use as an attack vessel, Destroyers bring with them the size to function effectively as a carrier vessel. If you will be using them in this manner, it is advisable to choose a model with an all arc to minimize any defensive weaponry. Also be aware, as these ships cannot go planet side, any units within would first need to enter the space environment and then go down to the planet. Therefore, take appropriate precautions.
The last topic in this lesson is that of utilizing other mid-class hulls available to you. Frigates and transports fall in this category, as quite a few of them are larger than a Corvette. The frigates have a significantly reduced amount of weapon mounts versus Destroyers because of their intended use as auxiliary-only type vessels. In addition, they are smaller in overall hull size than a Destroyer is, so they will not match one head on. However, transports only posses a fraction of the weapon mounts found on a Destroyer. Frigates hold bombs—if used in battle at all, they should only be used strategically.
Obviously, both frigates and transports will serve you more effectively as carrier ships. The transport vessels are especially suited for this because they are the largest vessels capable of making planetfall, thereby allowing them to drop Tanks and other atmospheric-only units. Without regard for combat, a great deal of what has been said about Destroyers applies to frigates and transports. As they do not possess an affinity for maneuverability, their creation may be somewhat more expensive than that of a Corvette, and most of the larger models must be built in a space station.
Battle Stations
A Battle Station possesses two levels of defense. One as a carrier for a warrior fleet and the other for the weapons it can bring to a battle. To make them effective when carrying Fighters, they must be able to sortie quickly. I would recommend at least twenty small doors and one large one. The small doors main goal is to launch waves of twenty Fighters ships at a time and quickly.
As a gun ship, your power generator will determine the overall firepower possible for the station so make it a big one. Properly equipped a Battle Station can put out more firepower than any other unit in the universe. You will also want to put your best radar for this ship to ensure you have the best advantage for spotting the enemy. As for the guns, I would keep them mixed using some of everything available to you. If the enemy is strong against beam and all you have are beam weapons this fight will not go well for you.
Remember, while Fighters may not be able to destroy your station they can cripple it - keep a few anti-Fighter weapons on hand for them. Armor is one of the most expensive parts of your station. Both the mineral cost and the credit cost will be the highest of all the parts. Put as much armor on as you can to lengthen your ships life.
Battle Stations are the primary means of defending your vital positions in space. These behemoths are best used around wormholes, planets, and other important space stations like your trade station, a shipyard, or a mining station with large stockpiles of resources. The greatest asset to defending your empire can end up being a Battle Station if you manage to place it in the right spot.
The Battle Station hull in this game has a hull size of eleven million, making it the largest hull in the game. It can have the most structural hit points and the most hit points per arc. The biggest challenge you will face building a Battle Station is making a power generator large enough to power the largest guns. Another issue could be coming up with the minerals to armor it completely; it is very likely that you will not use up all the armor space available.
