Re: defense
 

Mines at WP's are good till later in game altho they make a good alarm, I use bases at WP's to defend using missiles ia OK but you only get 1 shot in 3 turns that can hurt, I use the most DF weapons I can.
Fighters are cool (some times) Drones are better but take longer to build (uses FULL size weapons) added benny is there is no maint for both.
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Re: defense
 

On choke point wormholes, I usually defend with maximum mines, maximum Sats, 3 or more Battlestations with weapons, 1 or 2 with drones mixture of weapons. At least 1 or 2 BS's will have at least 1 shipyard on them for repairs. The idea is to make the assault as costly as possible. However, remember, you need to stop the capability of someone opening wormholes into your systems lst,, otherwise your wormhole defense is useless, they'll just go around it

just some ideas mac

Re: defense
 

I usually try to close access to critical warppoints while creating a "net" for fast fleet transfers. Works pretty well unless your opponents also developed stellar manipulation.

If I ever feel the need to secure a warppoint, a base with added production ability is my way to go; nothing says "keep out" like a self-replenshing field of satellites/swarm of fighters.

Then again, most of the time I just keep a fleet handy to go after whatever the wormhole dragged in.

I'll experiment with drones a bit next time.

Re: defense
 

I usually ignore plaentary defences altogether, other than a few mines in the early game. Defend the warp points, where you always get first shot. If the enemy gets in your systems you are in trouble. I have never seen planetary defences able to stop a decent fleet. For warp point static defences I will use some mines again, and maybe medium sized satellites. Generally though I figure that I would prefer to invest my resouces into mobile, upgradeable weapons. I.e. Ships. The zero-maintenance of units of nice of course, but as a general strategy I find offence to be the best form of defence. Get in the other guys systems first. If you sit there and wait for him to come to you, you will likely be in trouble when he does.

Re: defense
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Really? Bwahahahahaha!!!!

Seriously, if this the Gravey I play against, he also greatly reduces maintenance costs with his racial setup. That choice is essential for a fleet only strategy.

Units are no maintainance, but their performance is terrible. They do not get the cultural, racial, or training, bonus to offense and defense.

Shields and armor are little better than an athletic supporter with a cup. The ability to hit and not get hit in return rules the battle field.

Re: defense
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have stopped quite large fleets with weapon platform traps. I usually leave most of my planets protected with only few mines. Then I fill a large or huge breathable planet with WPs. The WPs have to be large to be efficient but it is quite cheap to reseach WPs. Large WPs have a big range and chance-to-hit bonus.

For warp points some drones and few mines is enough to cripple a very large attacking fleet. The defending drones start combat very close to enemy and they ram on the first combat turn. A very large amount of point defence is needed if you want to go through the warp point.

Re: defense
 

WPs may not stop the enemy fleet but they will at least buy you time to organize a new fleet. If I attack an undefended system, I can wipe out several planets in one turn. If you have WPs I have to be much more careful as you might weaken my fleet on the first planet such that I will loose the rest on the second planet.

Re: defense
 

I've fallen in love using Sats for wormhole defense. Medium Sats with Large-mount Phased weapons work great at holding enemy fleets back.

And heck, nothing beats the feeling of getting the first shot in and wiping a whole fleet out without them ever getting a shot off http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

defense
 

Hi,

i was wondering how you guys defend your planets, systems and warppoints.

I usually build 30 sats for large to huge planets with the 30 sats being a mix of direct firing, missile weapons and point defense. I also throw 1 spy sat which has a scanning device and a cloaking device on it so i can hide the whole sat group. I sometimes add about 20 mines to the mix.

I then procede to build as many weapons platforms as the cargo space allows me. I sometimes add a cargo space just so i can add more weaponplatforms. Again I tend to use a mix of missiles and beams.

On the important planets, i place a massive planetary shield and a system shield generator to protect the whole system. When i have the resources, i might even add a Battlestation.

Plus i add troops. If i'm invading a system, i can pass a transport from planet to planet picking up the garrisons along the way to fill the transport up. I then rebuild the troops on the planets where i extracted them.

I haven't used fighters or drones much on planets.
Because there is so much building going on, a build a small "buildstation" in orbit and this kind of station is very easy on the maintenance since it's only about 550 in minerals in maintenance. I then can build my facilities and build up my defense at the same time. So as more facilities are built on the planet, the planet is better defended.

As a precaution, i also build extra DNS that i immediately rename to "RESERVE_x" and mothball.
You never know when there might be an invader that hits the core of your empire. A strategic reserve of ships that don't cost any maintenance can always come in handy.

For warppoint defense, i mostly use mines (100).
I wonder if using sats isn't more effective? Building a large starbase doesn't seems very effective. I did some tests with the simulator and 6 dreadnoughts took out the biggest base i could build although the DN's suffered heavily. And a base costs a lot of maintenance.
Sats (direct fire, missile, point defense) and fighters would be ideal i guess since they have no maintenance.
I'm not sure if you can build fighters that don't need to resupply.

Any other thoughts on this?

Re: defense
 

How i defend my Planets is, with fighters only.I wont allow any enemy ships get even near weapons range of my planets.

For wormholes too?, i use fighters, but later in the game i use mines.Gives me that time to prepare for stratige & early warning system. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Ferengi Rules of Acquisition #48 The bigger the smile ,the sharper the knife.