[LGM]

I few people have pointed out that taking Religous will wreck your economy. They are wrong!. Religious players get facilities that increase planetary value and increase yield percentages. Plus they get combat bonus for defense and damage.

The AS does not have the delayed affect of boarding parties (remember the well documented cascade effect of subverting an AS fleet).

I believe that when a CV takes out a MC that it will cripple a ship down to about 0 or 1 movement points (assuming no crew, bridge, or life support). Ship is not much good at that point, until you can repair it.

Personally, I think a Base Ship with Talisman/Null Space is a deadlier combination than Talisman/AS. Put a 3 or 4 Massive Mount Null Space with a Talisman, any ship is rather gutted at that point anyway. You just have to make sure you get first fire. Null Space is very cost effective if you have reached the ship limit and what to build the nastiest ship you can.

If you do not have Talisman, try this combination: A couple of normal size Tractor Beams/Massive Null Space/Single Massive Mount Repulser beam. Pull the ship closer so the important weapons can hit at point blank range before flinging the ship away. Try Repulsers with the x3 (Huge) or x5 (Massive) mounts. The multiplier applies to range flung!

Also, try using repulser beams to keep the AS/CV ships out of range.