New Strategy: Drones with Subverters !

[Despotic Fiend]

Originally posted by Cheeze:
Krsk, you made an excellent post. I would add two other options to combat these weapons.

1)Use engine destroyers - If you eliminate the Talisman/Subverter ship's ability to move, you may prevent it from closing to a distance where it can use this weapon. Now it can be eliminated by longer-ranged weapons without worry.

2)Use repulser beams - As with the above strategy, this might allow your ships to move in, strike and then push the Talisman/Subverter ship far beyond a range to move in and attack.

The combination of 1 and 2 would appear to work well.

I might have added Weapon Overloading weapons, but I have never really seen them used, and they do not seem worthwhile, given their poor range, limited damage and slow firing rate. Perhaps on starbases, satellites or weapons platforms (in Gold) this might be different.

I would say to use Massive Engine Destroyer(if you can get it) because this would work excellently, if you wipe his engines and he manages to grab the ship it won't reload during combat and you can destroy it before combat ends and then wipe his talisman/subverter ship as well.

[RiTz21]

Wow !
I'am amazed at the traffic this thread generated!

Lots of very interesting comments. To answer a few questions, indeed the ship I captured with the Drone was not equipped with any Shields - and Yes, I used the "capture Ship" strategy on the drone - you have to change it, or else if you keep it to 'Drone attack', it's possible the drone fails to subvert and rams the enemy ship instead.

THANKS guys (and Gals ?) for the interest !!

RiTz21

[Fyron]

Massive Ionic Dispersers are rather weak. They only fire 2 times in a battle. Heavy Mounted ID's destroy all engines on a ship, and can fire every turn.

[Krsqk]

If I understand the idea, Massive IDs were used because of the long delay in firing. That way, if they were subverted, they wouldn't be stopping your own ships cold, at least that combat. Isn't there like a 10-turn automatic reload penalty for subverting/capturing a ship, though?

[Wardad]

Originally posted by Krsqk:
...Isn't there like a 10-turn automatic reload penalty for subverting/capturing a ship, though?

I don't remember exactly what it the penalty is.
Most likely these ships are the closest target.
They are still usefull as cannon fodder.

[jprevott]

Originally posted by Wardad:

quote:

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Originally posted by Krsqk:
...Isn't there like a 10-turn automatic reload penalty for subverting/capturing a ship, though?

I don't remember exactly what it the penalty is.
Most likely these ships are the closest target.
They are still usefull as cannon fodder.

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I thought the 10 turn penalty was for boarding party captured ships. AS taken ships seem immediately go right into action in the game I faced them.

[LGM]

Originally posted by g3n3r4l3n1gm4:
I would say to use Massive Engine Destroyer(if you can get it) because this would work excellently, if you wipe his engines and he manages to grab the ship it won't reload during combat and you can destroy it before combat ends and then wipe his talisman/subverter ship as well.

Massive Engine Killers are slow reload and firing at long range just means you blew you chance to hit them.

[LGM]

I few people have pointed out that taking Religous will wreck your economy. They are wrong!. Religious players get facilities that increase planetary value and increase yield percentages. Plus they get combat bonus for defense and damage.

The AS does not have the delayed affect of boarding parties (remember the well documented cascade effect of subverting an AS fleet).

I believe that when a CV takes out a MC that it will cripple a ship down to about 0 or 1 movement points (assuming no crew, bridge, or life support). Ship is not much good at that point, until you can repair it.

Personally, I think a Base Ship with Talisman/Null Space is a deadlier combination than Talisman/AS. Put a 3 or 4 Massive Mount Null Space with a Talisman, any ship is rather gutted at that point anyway. You just have to make sure you get first fire. Null Space is very cost effective if you have reached the ship limit and what to build the nastiest ship you can.

If you do not have Talisman, try this combination: A couple of normal size Tractor Beams/Massive Null Space/Single Massive Mount Repulser beam. Pull the ship closer so the important weapons can hit at point blank range before flinging the ship away. Try Repulsers with the x3 (Huge) or x5 (Massive) mounts. The multiplier applies to range flung!

Also, try using repulser beams to keep the AS/CV ships out of range.

[Krsqk]

I few people have pointed out that taking Religous will wreck your economy. They are wrong!. Religious players get facilities that increase planetary value and increase yield percentages. Plus they get combat bonus for defense and damage.

It's not that Religious wrecks your economy; it's that maxing out research in religious andpsychic will hurt your economy. You have to get the Subverter and the Talisman as quickly as possible to survive--any race with psychic/religious combo in PBW will be marked for death. To get that research, you have to give up much more than the 5/10/15% the religious facilities give you. If you only take religious, you're a little less likely to be ganged up on; you don't have to divert as much research; and the religious facilities do make a difference in your economy. RE: the damage/combat bonuses--IMO, if the enemy is attacking in your systems, you've already lost. You can't stay defensive forever, and those facilities aren't usually a priority in newly-colonized border systems.