Destroying Enemy Shields

[Claymore]

I want to try to capture more enemy ships, but want more of the internal components left intact( since they may have new tech). Any suggestions on weapon choices/tactics ?

[Atrocities]

Use sheild depleting weapons, and tractor beams. Use a lot of Security forces on your ship.

I deplete their sheilds, and then capture their ships. You can also go to ministers, and establish the stratigy that you want your fleet to capture enemy ships.

Good luck.

------------------
"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patric Stewart as Captain Picard
UCP/TCO Ship Yards

[KiloOhm]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Claymore:
I want to try to capture more enemy ships, but want more of the internal components left intact( since they may have new tech). Any suggestions on weapon choices/tactics ?

---

Go for the Temporal Tech tree...weapons do 4X damage to shields...very nice!


------------------
Regards,
KiloOhm

[DirectorTsaarx]

More specifically on Temporal Weapons - in the early levels, the smaller weapon (don't recall the name) does 4X shield damage (and can also damage internals, which is sometimes useful ). In later levels, you get the "Shield Accelerator" which works like a Shield Depleter only more powerful. Of course, in my current game, I also have the "Massive Shield Depleting" unique tech, which ROCKS!!! (well, as long as the weapon doesn't miss - at one shot per combat, it's really upsetting when it misses).

[General Hawkwing]

Along with shield depleting weapons, place a repair bay on your ship. It will help you recover the space marines and fix any damage on your "new" ship.

[Yojinbo]

There are some good tips here. I support my capture teams with a repair ship. Also, you may want to include a lot of smaller weapons rather then one heavy mount to "snipe" one component at a time off an enemy until you get that self destruct device shut down.

If you can "hole up" at the end of a warp points and keep your ships in a loose formation (I don't use fleets when ambushing) you stand a good change of starting combat right on top of your prey.

Some advanced capture techniques:

Don't use shields (if combat Last THAT long you have failed).

Research Capture Teams and Shield Dep. Weps exclusively; steal all other ship tech (I save hundreds of thousands of RP every game by stealing Ice and Gas colony, all Ship construction and everything else that's not nailed down).

Add a Space Yard Ship to ambush area as soon as you can. Then, you can scrap, analyze or retrofit on the spot. One or two turn’s delay in deploying new tech can kill a space pirate. Keep the old repair unit around to speed up retrofits.

RETROFIT those captured hulks! NEVER build from scratch. Peasants build. Pirates take. It's fast but expensive.

Good capture like this is an exploit of the current AI - You can win every game under most any circumstances as the AI will TROW metal down a warp point and into your pocket. However, a human opponent will adapt and overcome with self-destruct charges on loaded, cheap, ramming ships.

Yojinbo