Anti-Ship Missile (Civ4)/Final Frontier/Civilopedia

While Missiles had been in use for hundreds - if not thousands - of years in terrestrial warfare, they were ineffective in space combat until new technological developments could occur. While Missiles could deliver devastating payloads, even nuclear warheads, to an enemy vessel or Star System, their slow speed and light armor made them far too vulnerable to defensive laser fire. To counter this, new versions were fitted with heavier armor and an energy shield designed to withstand fire from the small laser weapons which could be aimed fast enough to destroy them. These upgrades proved quite effective, as larger beam weapons required too much time for the targeting computers to achieve a lock and fire an accurate shot, and once again Missiles became a major force in combat. Soon the Cruiser class vessels were developed to serve as platforms to transport and fire them, extending the Anti-Ship Missile's range beyond static planets and Starbases.