Warning! This guide is INCOMPLETE and UNPOLISHED! And it may be a while before it's finished, so be warned!
please post ship examples to help out
give feedback on ship type strengths and weaknesses
Intro:
this is a battle guide, not aesthetic (though some of these ships look pretty cool)
intended for 1mil 2mil tournament-style play
these aren't all or nothing ship "types", more like themes and patterns that can be mixed and matched
don't compare ship types by the count of strengths and weaknesses
Assault ("Wall", "Wall-like") [nobody actually uses the name assault, but you could be the first]
[all weapons facing forward, can focus fire in a wide forward arc]
(TODO: break this up into assault and wall, as separate ship types. Wall is the typical wall, with great turn speed, central ions/armadillo pit, etc. Assault is... what exactly? Nobody calls anything an assault anyway, so maybe stick assaults in the hybrid category)
Strengths:
- Wide focus fire arc
- Wide engine placement allows for high turn speed
Weaknesses:
- Below average weapon/defense coverage arc
- Difficulty strafing
- Jack of all trades, master of none?
Broadsider
[side facing weapons, cannot focus fire]
Strengths:
- Near-360 degree weapon/defense coverage arc
Weaknesses:
- Cannot focus fire
Diagonal Triangle ("Triangle", "Diagonal", "A")
[outer diagonal weapons, triangle shape, narrow focus fire arc]
Strengths:
- Easy to shield; good shield cascade
- Wide weapon/defense coverage arc
- Large weaponizable surface area
- Rear weapons are difficult to focus down
Weaknesses:
- Narrow focus fire arc
- Slow forward movement (diagonal thrusters)
- Cannot use spinal weapons (ion beams, railguns)
Inverted Triangle ("V")
[weapon pit, inverted triangle shape]
Strengths:
- Easy to shield; good shield cascade
- Compact weapon placement
Weaknesses:
- Narrow weapon/defense coverage arc
- Slow forward movement (diagonal thrusters)
- Cannot use spinal weapons (ion beams, railguns)
Star Destroyer
[side facing weapons, triangle shape, narrow focus fire arc]
Strengths:
- Very wide weapon/defense coverage arc
- Very large weaponizable surface area
- Rear weapons are difficult to focus down
Weaknesses:
- Very difficult to shield
- Difficulty focusing fire
- Can only use >180 degree arc weapons (lasers and electrobolts)
Inverted Star Destroyer
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Missile/Rail Barge
[hot dog shape, frontal armor mass]
Strengths:
- Very strong frontal defense
- Long range
Weaknesses:
- Extremely narrow defense coverage arc
- Vulnerable to flanking/clinging
- Slow (uses heavy armor)
Rail Fan
[round shape, many railguns]
Strengths:
- Can focus fire railguns
- Round shape makes it difficult to cling
Weaknesses:
- Lower fire rate
- Requires constant piloting attention
Armadillo/Clinger
[heavy armor, strong engines, weapon pit]
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Swarmer
[not exactly a ship type, but a good term for using more than 5 ships per match]
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
And many hybrids:
Thanks to nop, verania, equalizer, oneye, polar bear, and cosmopyr for ships.
