I had a fight once when two of my dreadnoughts modified to be minesweepers broke through a maximum stack of mines warp point into Piundan space. It turns out that was his fleet staging system. I was jumped by 20 light cruisers and 15 light carriers carrying a total of 105 large fighters armed with rocket packs. I killed all but 7 light cruisers and 4 carriers without a scratch because my dreadnoughts each mount 7 PD V, and those two happened to be legendary +50. If you split your shield space 50/50 between shields and shield regenerators you can survive big fighter battles. Use just one regen V if you need to fill up, make the others IV, because the increase in size is not worth it. Typically I have four of IV and one of V.

I have also caught a fleet of a dozen light carriers who had NO fighters because they were on the way to pick them up. Maybe those carriers were empty too. Right click on any ship/planet/satellite in tactical combat to examine its cargo. I always do because I never blow up a transport if it is carrying population. I never approach a planet before I check its cargo bay to see what weapons platforms it has. Right click on the component to see what it does.

[This message has been edited by LCC (edited 20 May 2001).]