[Cheeze]

I would add that you should definitely keep ECM on your ships. Yes, the talisman makes it useless. However, if/when you start hitting your opponent's ships, the talisman is a large component that can go down quickly. Without sensors, and your ships' training and ECM, may turn the battle to your favor. In one game, I watched an ally (heavy organic) tear apart a religious opponent, in no small part due to a sudden inability to hit once a ship's talisman was destroyed.

Also, you might try going around your enemy's war fleets with Groups of small "commando" fleets, designed to hit their colonies, capture them or wipe them out. Ruin that player's resource base, make the populations riot, and it will be necessary for them to spend time on defense. Suddenly, their huge fleets may become a liability in maintenance expenses. Clearly though, with crystal tech they have maintenance reduction facilities, so such attacks become even more important.

Perhaps, along with point-blank strategies, you might try heavy shield depleters along with a Boarding Ship strategy. If your ships can survive to ripper beam range, it is not too far a stretch to think they could bring down a ship's shielding and then board. Then YOU have ships with shield depleters and shard cannons, and they may have the problem!