Beginner Question about Tactical Battle

[Coal]

What I try to do early in the game is use lots of missiles. Reasearch destroyers and design them with three missiles and two DUCs, then you simply make more of them. If you think you can risk it, put all your ships into one fleet so you will have the greater firepower advantage.
What you could also do is fight defensivly. Use a large fleet to fight any enemy ships that enter your territory, and keep asking them for a trade alliance.
If diplomacy fails, go to a full offensive plan. Hit their planets constantly and wipe them from the galaxy.

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Rules? What Rules?

[Nitram Draw]

Definately overwhelm them if you can, after all who wants to get into a fair fight? The more ships you have the better off you will be because in the early stages of the game most races haven't researched multiplex tracking so they can only fire at on ship at a time.
If all else fails put warheads on your escorts and ram him, you don't miss this way!