How do I blockade?.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

To be honest, no, but I am 98% sure that the first method will work. OR, alternate version of second method, design a dirt cheap Space Station with just the B/LS/CQ comps and just enough armor to still let it have 1 turn construction time on your best ship SY, the build it in orbit. It won't be of any use if the enemy counterattacks, but it will be a blockader. Also, you could make this dirt cheap station then retrofit it a couple of times to produce a powerful battle station with built-in repairbay and have it operational in less time than it would have taken to build the thing from scratch.

[Q]

If your fleet has the strategy "don't get hurt" and no ships are set to break formation it should work, at least I used this with success. Ship strategy is effective as soon the formation is broken.

[Blueentity]

As previously mentioned, if you set a ship's (not fleet, but ship) strategy to "Don't get hurt", it will "run for the corners" instead of approaching enemy ships, planets or units. Certain Design Types have this as a default, so unless you have modified that strategy, an uncloaked mine sweeper or a colony ship will blockade a planet quite nicely, until there are some defending drones, fighters or ships.

Even on “Don’t get hurt”, your ships with guns will defend themselves if an enemy ship or unit moves within its weapon range (Try it out in the simulator to see) if attacked, but will still run to the corners and leave the blockaded planet alone. The obvious disadvantage would be if the enemy defenders have longer ranged weapons than your ship (Missiles anyone?).