Orkulus Star Base

The Orkulus Star Base is the Vasari's Starbase in the Entrenchment micro-expansion. It is unique in the fact that it is built by the Jarun Migrator, the Vasari Colony Frigate, instead of having its own dedicated Starbase Construction Cruiser. With the need to constantly run from their unknown threat, the Orkulus has been made mobile by its creators, allowing it to fly about its gravity well, albeit slowly.
==Upgrades==
===Innate Research Upgrades===
These upgrades can be purchased without having to be researched.
*Assault Systems (3 levels): Adds more weapons to the Orkulus. All Orkulus starbases start just with pulse gun-based attacks when they're first built (anti-heavy damage). The first upgrade will add "disintegration" weapons that are particularly effective against larger targets like capital ships, structures, or other starbases. The second level will add general-purpose phase missile weapons. The third level will increase the damage of all existing weapons systems and allow it to target more enemy units at one time.
*Defensive Enhancements (4 levels): Increases the hull, shield, and armor points of the Orkulus.
*Squadron Facilities (3 levels): Enables the Orkulus to support strike craft. The first upgrade allows for 4 squads, the second upgrade allows 8 squads, and the final upgrade allows 14.
===Researched Upgrades===
These upgrades require Fortification Tree research before they can be used. 
*Enforced Loyalty (1 level): Prevents the loss of the planet due to bombardment. The enemy can still bombard it with siege frigates and Novaliths to reduce its population, but you will remain in control of the planet. All factions have some variation of this upgrade. (Requires 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
*Merchant Cargo Bays (1 level): Adds a trade port to the Vasari starbase which produces more income than a regular Trade Port. (Requires 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs and Off-World Exports from the Empire Tree from the Fortification Tree)
*Colony Pods (2 levels): Instantly adds 50 population, equivalent to 1.25 credits per second, to the starbase per level of upgrade. The trade port upgrade will always produce more money than this; however, colony pods are still a way of augmenting income. (Requires 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
*Debris Vortex (2 levels): Adds an antimatter reserve to the Orkulus and allows use of this special ability. The starbase can literally absorb the wreckage of recently destroyed ships (friendly or enemy) to restore hull points to itself. (Requires 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
*Phase Stabilizer (1 levels): Adds an antimatter reserve to the Orkulus and enables it to become a temporary Phase Stabilizer. It can be used as either a departure point or a destination, but you will need another phase stabilizer on the other side to use it. (Requires 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
*Frontal Deflector Shield (2 levels): Adds an antimatter reserve to the Orkulus and enables it to activate frontal deflectors, greatly decreasing the damage it takes from enemies attacking it from the front. (Requires 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
==Tactics==
Because the Orkulus can move, it is not possible to attack it from outside of its range. However, unlike the TEC and Advent starbases, it lacks any uncapped area of effect abilities. Using Meteor Storm or Safety Override Protocol , the Advent or TEC starbases can deal massive (potentially lethal) damage to an entire fleet. The Vasari starbase has no such ability, which means that no matter how heavily upgraded it is, there's always a fleet that's large enough to simply overpower it. However, this doesn't make it any easier to try to overwhelm a heavily upgraded Orkulus.
Fortunately, the starbase moves at a snail's pace, and one of the best ways to beat it is simply to attack it with bombers while running in circles around the gravity well. The Orkulus will never catch up, and the bombers will eventually defeat it. The Vasari player can counter this by sending units to support their starbase.
In the early game, however, this is not feasable. In cramped competitive matches, a very common tactic is for a Vasari player to very quickly start building a starbase on an enemy's key world, possibly on their homeworld. Because it takes too much time to research carrier cruisers and to build enough bombers to be effective against the Orkulus, the best strategy for the player defending against the Orkulus is often to have a lot of LRF (or LF) in their fleet before this happens. In the early-game, if the enemy manages to finish constructing the Orkulus, and if it stays alive for more than a minute or so, you will either take massive frigate losses or you will lose control of the gravity well. Early-game, the Orkulus is the most powerful weapon in the Vasari's arsenal.
Later in the game, the Orkulus shines when combined with the Overseer: after your Orkulus starts constructing on an enemy planet, produce a good number of Overseers and send them to support the Orkulus once it starts taking heavy damage. The instant-heal of the Overseer will allow you to keep your Orkulus alive long enough to upgrade durability and weapons, letting you take control of the gravity well unless the enemy's fleet is completely overpowering.
Combined with Phasic Trap and a light defending fleet of Overseers and Subverters, an upgraded Vasari starbase is effectively invulnerable when handled by a skilled player late-game.
Bombers are the only universal counter to the Orkulus starbase as it has no way of fighting back by itself. Against TEC fleets heavily laden with Orgov Torpedo Cruisers, a Vasari player will often fully upgrade the starbase's deflector shield to help it resist the infrequent but vicious volleys while playing against an Advent player will likely result in points invested in Debris Vortex because of how quickly it's phase missiles can rip Advent ships apart.
Like the Argonev and Transcencia Star Bases, the time it takes to construct an Orkulus Star Base depends on where it's built. However, Assault Deployment, a Fortification Tree research that requires four or more Lirtestra Weapons Labs, can increase the rate at which the Orkulus is built in enemy gravity wells.
As the Vasari Rebels, the Orkulus gains the unique ability to be upgraded with Phase Engines. This allows it to jump to other gravity wells. The problem is that both the well from which the starbase jumps and targeted well must have a phase stabilizer node. This can be partially solved by clever use of Kostura Cannons/ level 6 Antorak Marauders and the phase stabilizer upgrade. However, you still cannot have more than one Orkulus in a gravity well at once, unless it is a star, where you can have up to four starbases. 
The Orkulus is especially effective at stars. Since it's possible to construct up to four starbases at a star, at least two Orkulus starbases will be able to attack an enemy fleet at a time. The enemy fleet could stay and fight, but they'd likely lose most of their ships.
Another tactic employable with the Vasari Rebels Starbase jump ability is to use it in tandem with the Kostura Cannon. An Orkulus starbase with Stabilize Phase Space and Defensive Enhancements fully upgraded can be stationed at a gravity well with its own phase stabilizer node. The Kostura Cannon is then fired at any critical or unprotected hostile core world. Once the Kostura warhead makes contact with the enemy gravity well, the defense mechanisms of that gravity well are disabled and the gravity well will serve as a temporary phase stabilizer node. At this point, the Orkulus Starbase is made to jump towards the enemy planet and upon arrival, the Stabilize Phase Space ability is activated. In its duration of 240 seconds, you will then have plenty of time to send your fleet to ravage those unprotected sectors with the bonus of having a starbase to watch your back. You can also decide to activate this ability later, being useful in case when enemy fleet is far away/ the enemy doesn't care. It is possible to also upgrade squadron facilities, providing you with additional strike craft. You can also upgrade assault systems, but the station's terrible mobility somewhat hinders the effect of this upgrade.
Category:Vasari
Category:Starbases
Category:Orbital Structures
Category:Entrenchment