Tactics: Post Human Republic

Dropfleet Main Rules: v1.7

PHR Fleet rules: PDF 231215 (Dec '23 update)

Popular styles: Launch Asset swarms, Massed batteries

General Characteristics:

 Good

The PHR are a tough faction, with lots of 3+ armor and an extra hull point that makes their frigates tougher then other fleets. They largely have broadside-mounted weapons, as opposed to UCM turrets or Scourge front arc Oculus, but do have a few ships with powerful forward guns. As of the 2.5 update the PHR fleet has been substantially reworked. It now has linked broadsides across many ships, and Fusillade has been removed. This makes the ships easier to use, as they no longer require weapons free orders in most cases, and can freely access 90% of their power in most cases on standard orders. Only a handful of ships retain the need for weapons free orders, often due to their substantial firepower. The weapons themselves have been retuned, with light and heavy calibre guns becoming more effective vs. targets outside their specialty.

As you may have noticed, PHR vessels need to carefully plan where they are in relation to the enemy fleet in order to maximise their firepower. The first of these is an old naval tactic referred to as “Crossing the T” where you turn your broadsides to face the enemy vessel and shoot at them while they close. The other is to rely on your superior armour and hull and plow right through a group and fire both batteries at enemies to each side. As of the Dec '23 update the number of shots that light calibre guns have has been reduced slightly to make them a less obvious pick.

PHR bombers are another favorite amongst players, as due to their good Lock value they easily score critical hits. Many players consider the Bellerophon or Scipio a vital part of their fleet. The average Point Defense in the fleet however means that sometimes these ships are forced to launch fighters instead to protect the ships in the fleet.

A general note: as a broadside-oriented faction the PHR tend to do better in mid- to late game as their ships pass enemy ships and the fleets start to turn and circle one another. This is the most likely time for PHR players to get targets in both broadsides for maximum damage. It's also the time where front arc oriented ships like Pompeius and Electras have a harder time lining up shots.

### Advanced Tactics

The PHR has a number of ships that provide defensive or offensive support. Calypsos can give enemy fire a Lock penalty, Ouranias can extend the range of other ships, Harpocrates can cause weapons disabled or engines offline crippling effects, and Agrippas can block enemy fire with well-placed debris fields. In addition, the PHR command cards have various debuffs like Drive Hack that can further hinder enemy movement and firing. Proper use of these support ships and cards can break up enemy formations, blunt forward firepower and buy time to get your ships in optimal positions. A well-timed drive hack can leave enemy ships just out of range of a target. Calypso support can almost negate attacks from burnthrough weapons like the infamous Viper Heavy Laser, Furnace Triad, or Quad Thermal Lance, giving your Heracles or Romulus the advantage over an opponent. Ourania spotters can extend your rear line's range to hit unexpected targets, further boosting the Heracles or Bellerophon's utility and safety.

For example:

Ourania can zoom forward and active scan a target, placing a minor spike on it. Your ships now have the 12" major spike on the Ouriana, the 6" minor spike on the target, the target sig, the ouriana sig, and your ship's own scan for range. This can extend your effective range to 40" in some cases.

The PHR Doom Bubble list: **Don't use this list**, as it is terribly unbalanced and more importantly seriously unfun to play both with and against.

The bubble list consists of an Agrippa, two Calypsos, a Bellaraphon and/or Pollux, and a Romulus/Remus. What leftover points remain are dedicated to drop. The above ships move as a group within the Agrippa bubble and will be generally immune to all enemy ships until they are nearly point blank, usually within 6" or so. THIS IS BROKEN. DO NOT PLAY IT.

Your opponent basically will have to run around trying to win the objective game while keeping away from the bubble. This is fairly easy for the most part, as the bubble list has very high SR groups. If they know it is coming, they can tailor a list to out drop it and as such will defeat it, but with zero interaction between the two players there really is no point. If a list isn't tailored, then it will probably lose. At 1500 points and below, there is insufficient points to drop on more than two clusters, and most drop elements will be either in the bubble or alone.

**Fighters/Bombers:**

PHR has access to several carriers across the Pathfinder, Line, and Vanguard slot. It is relatively easy to max out your launch, but by no means required. The Agrippa and Pollux are your only Aegis-type defense, so you are more limited but can provide protection for specific ships without fighter cover. As a general rule, it's better to launch bombers, especially when the target is within single thrust range. PHR bombers are very likely to crit, so will tend to require more PD to stop them then UCM, Shaltari or the Resistance. Using your launch for fighter support then is inefficient and should only be done sparingly. Your fighters are only slightly better then the UCM and inferior to the other fleets. You also pay a premium for your launch, making it essential to not squander it on fighters when you can.

#### Command Deck

The PHR has one of the better command decks. Weapons Hack and Drive Hack can nerf enemy shooting and prevent ships from even getting into range. Combined with your support ships you can mitigate lots of enemy shooting with little recourse for an opposing player. Command Hack can buy you a critical turn by knocking big damage ships like a Colonizer out of Weapons Free orders. You will seldom have a hard time using the cards in your hand.

#### Burnthrough Weapon Performance:

 Hypernova Laser
 Twin Meganova Laser
 Twin Supernova Laser
 Supernova Laser

### Faction Specific Space Stations

Unique space stations often require opponent's consent and have very specific rules for deployment. This limits their effectiveness, as some standard missions do not have room to deploy them, while others may put them in a location where they cannot contribute much to battle or are easily focused and destroyed. Generic space stations can often have longer range or more effective armaments.

#### PHR Defence Halo

A large space station with a burnthrough laser and close action weaponry. Roughly equivalent to a heavy cruiser or troopship in durability. Ourania support or active scans are required to give it range on its main weapon.

#### PHR Orbital Spire

A large space station with dedicated close action weaponry. Very limited even with the scan of 8", but will usually cripple a cruiser or heavy cruiser in a single volley if one draws close.

#### PHR Orbital Picket

A small station with close action weapons and a scan of 6". Close action weapons are very limited on an immobile station, so generally this is only used for narrative purposes.

#### PHR Orbital Outpost

A small station equipped with a burnthrough laser, it can contribute to a fight with some ranged firepower and doesn't require weapons free orders. This can be useful, as it has good firepower compared to a small station without a defense grid.

### Famous Admirals

#### High Director Claudia Rhee - Heracles Battleship

Claudia can grant the Vectored ability to a group on max thrust orders - a neat ability that isn't particularly overwhelming. Her passive also gives her ship a minor buff to its close action weapons, which is nice on paper, but not when she's mounted on a ship that's known for backline sniping. Not an amazing choice for a famous Admiral - only take for narrative purposes.

#### Fleet Vizier Helena of Asgard - Pompeius Battlecruiser

An S-tier choice, mostly due to her ability to wipe out entire light groups in a single salvo. The combination of being able to turn her Pompeius's main guns from anti-heavy to anti-light, coupled with the ability to splash damage on an entire group of light ships, allows her to decimate an entire gate group or wipe entire corvette packs from existence. This can result in severe issues scoring for other players, as often an Ourania can spot these light groups well in advance of the Pompeius itself. As of the 2.5 update her ability is limited to targets within 6" of the initial ship, preventing her from causing ships across the map from spontaneous existence failure when she shoots a strike carrier.

#### Director Javelin - Achilles Heavy Cruiser

Javelin mitigates the worst effect of one singular crippling roll on his ship and provides a bonus to controlling the orbital space above a cluster. Not very synergistic, and at a 25 point premium. Only take for fluff reasons, if at all. As of the 2.5 update he gives his ship reinforced armor, and the Achillies itself is buffed, making him more effective but by no means a must take.

### Super Heavy Ships

#### Romulus - Dreadnought

**Role:** The Romulus is a powerhouse, with a lot of high-powered shots and the ability to bring down even other dreadnoughts in two turns. The issue here is that your weapons are split between three different arcs, making it impossible to focus your fire into valuable targets. Due to the sheer power, it is still a viable option to charge it down the middle of the field, go weapons free and fire upon whatever happens to be within its reach. With the dreadnought and overcharge rules, this ship no longer needs to use weapons free orders most of the time and can still access it's OC weapons, making it much harder to pin down. Dreadnoughts in general have a very high SR, large signature, and a high points cost, so they should only be taken in larger games where their presence doesn't detract from your overall fleet complement. Timing your Overcharge is also important. The Romulus can Overcharge any of its guns for double damage, but doing so sacrifices firing other weapons (overriding the Dreadnought rule which allows firing two weapons.) It may be better to fire both broadsides, for example, then a single side at double damage.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** UCM anti-dread tactics revolve around long range attacks from burnthrough lasers, coupled with railgun bombardment by Kyivs and Reykjaviks. As long as you can limit the amount of return fire these are survivable with help from your support ships. Be vigilant against Romes lurking behind debris fields and Havana attacks on your Calypso support.
* **Scourge:** Scourge snipers are weak against PHR bombers, but mass Parasite/Djinn attacks can be very dangerous, if obvious counters to your dread. Most scourge players prefer to use cloaked ships to fire from outside your effective range. This can be countered by Agrippas blocking LOS with debris fields, dropping bomber attacks on Akumas, or using a group of Harpocrates to lock them into silent running when they are facing the wrong way. Once they have drifed into range, the Romulus can inflict heavy damage via an OC Glaive or Hypernova shot.
* **PHR:** Enemy Harpocrates and Calypsos should be the #1 target for your other ships.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari have numerous long range snipers and short range CAW that can be very dangerous, but they are equally limited in ship numbers to the PHR. Their low number of shots in general can be degraded by strategic use of Calypsos, and their range advantage countered via the Ourania.
* **Resistance:** The Resistance has lots of tools to deal with PHR armor, but they tend to be on shorter range ships. Try to keep those units nullified via your Calypsos and Harpocrates and sink them with the Romulus's guns. The Trident, Ark and Colonizer are very dangerous if they are able to go weapons free on your ships, so you absolutely need to sink them first or use Agrippas and Calypsos to defend your ships.

**Synergies:** Ouranias can extend range, enabling potential first strikes on enemy dreadnoughts and battleships. Nearby Calypsos or Agrippas can inhibit return fire.

#### Remus - Dreadnought

**Role:** Dedicating a dreadnought to bombardment is very hard to justify. The strategic benefit of destroying sectors or weakening enemy ground troops just isn't valuable enough to be worth the cost, especially not when the PHR has access to some very good carrier/bombardment ships. Protected via an Agrippa or Calypsos, it can work as a way to deny your opponent the central cluster, allowing you to focus drop on the side clusters. Note that you cannot bombard sectors with your troops in them, so if you have it accompany drop, limit your forces to sectors you don't want to bombard. You will need to focus both broadside glaives on cruiser and larger targets and use torps on ships that are silent running or trying to get into your rear arc. As of the 2.5 update the bombardment cannon has been buffed to level clusters faster when overcharged. Each Barrel will do 4-5 damage to a sector, which means smaller clusters are leveled in a single turn, and even large clusters will not survive two turns of bombardment. Given the Remus's scan range midline clusters then will be in range starting turn 2. The threat of this should be enough to force your opponent to divert drop assets to other clusters, and if they don't... well, that central cluster won't be around to score turn 3. Bombardment has also been improved in general, meaning ground assets will die much more often to bombardment, and the Apocalypse cannon in particular.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Long range UCM firepower is very dangerous, as the Remus doesn't have any front arc firepower. You will need Agrippa or Calypso support and consider running silent for a turn to get to the center cluster.
* **Scourge:** Scourge have firepower to threaten the Remus, but the torpedoes can equally threaten cloaked ships, and Agrippas/Calypsos can severely degrade shots from the Scourge dreads. The larger issue will be Scourge CAW packs diving on the Remus.
* **PHR:** Electras and Pompeius are the most dangerous threats, especially if the Calypsos and Agrippa support are hit by the lower SR groups before they can get defenses up.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari can shuffle troops around via gate networks, but generally have lower amounts of drop then other factions. Destroying troops across sectors then can be somewhat effective, but you could target the gate network itself via corvettes for a lower cost. At the same time they have plenty of anti-armor tools via Obsidians, Granites and Hematites. Dreadnoughts usually take a predictable path and as such the Shaltari should line up their cruisers on that path.
* **Resistance:** Colonizers, Arks and Tridents can be very dangerous opponents for the Remus. Agrippa support works best since it can negate the Galileo spike and delay the lower scan resistance ships from firing. Keep Armstrongs at arms length as well.

**Synergies:** Ouranias can extend range for bombardment weapons, but they must be within scan range of the targeted sectors and cannot spike the sector. Agrippas, Calypsos and Castors are useful to help defend your Dread from counterattack. Some Tournament scenarios have destroying clusters as part of the scoring, making this a powerful choice in those specific circumstances.

#### Heracles - Sniping Battleship

**Role:** Heavily reliant on the Dark Matter Cannon for damage, which doesn't synergize well with the heavy calibre broadsides, the Heracles tends to be best used in the back line sniping targets with support from an Ourania. Stacking critical damage can work on larger ships, but the Heracles is an expensive option to do so. With an average damage of 3, it will rely on the cripple effect to deal additional damage to targets rather than destroy them outright. An unlucky orbital decay roll can be the doom of larger ships. As of the 2.5 update the heavy broadsides have been linked and buffed, making them less punishing to use in late game situations where the Heracles needs to get its figurative hands dirty.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Sniper on sniper, you can put points into keeping the Heracles safe, but that might degrade the rest of your fleet.
* **Scourge:** Counter sniping Scourge is tough due to full cloak, which means it often needs Ourania support. The Heracles is vulnerable to fast-moving Djinns, alongside other Scourge frigates and cruisers.
* **PHR:** You will often need to strip away defensive Calypsos and Agrippas to use the DMC to its full capacity.
* **Shaltari:** Hematite and other long range ships can reach your back line, making this an even fight. Shields can prevent critical damage, at the cost of lighting up the ship for fire from other sources.
* **Resistance:** While the DMC is very effective against Tridents and Colonisers, the Triumvir can negate much of the impact of its criticals. Take care to break up the death ball or otherwise isolate then destroy the shorter ranged Resistance ships. Watch out for resistance players using other ships to break up your defenses by stripping away Ourania, Calypso and Agrippa prior to a Trident giving you 8 barrels of hell.

**Synergies:** Ouranias are the Heracles's best friend, extending range for the DMC so it can fire without taking much in return. Monitors and Calypsos can be added for support, but are not needed if you are positioning correctly.

#### Minos - Battleship

**Role:** The close action neutron missiles of the Minos are a very potent weapon, mainly due to being Crippling. For a ship that must operate in the danger zone of the enemy fleet it is tough to use properly and will take lots of fire. Thankfully it has a high hull value and good armor. It is highly vulnerable to enemy CAW-focused threats like Taipeis, Djinns, Wraiths, etc. It will generally be outshot by dreadnoughts, and even Beijings, Daemons, and Diamonds can do as much damage and can fire as they approach. Consider pairing with an Agrippa or Calypsos and doing early activations if you are going to use it. The Minos main advantage lies in not needing weapons free to operate against a single target and with its large hull and torps it can often bully smaller battlecruisers. As of the 2.5 update the heavy broadsides have been buffed and linked, and the neutron missiles given a set number of shots, making the Minos even more of a bully. Try to be sneaky and use debris fields and LSO to screen its approach until it can crash through and deliver torpedoes, missiles and a full broadside into an opposing battlegroup. Scourge ships have a tough time with ships in their side arc, making that a prime position for a Minos.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Very tough match up. Most UCM fleets have enough firepower to burn this down at range, and PD to blunt the Neutron Missiles.
* **Scourge:** Another poor matchup, as Scourge have no problem being in close range and trading blows. If you can get into the scourge side arc it will reduce their firepower significantly.
* **PHR:** It can be good against aggressive Agrippa and Calypso tactics, but if your opponent goes more long range you will have an uphill fight.
* **Shaltari:** In general the Shaltari have very good CAW and Sniper ships, so it is rare you will have a good matchup vs. the hedgehogs. However if it does get in close the Shaltari have a tough time dealing with it as most of their ships are front oriented and will have a tough time bringing their firepower to bear while the Minos circles them and pummles them mercilessly.
* **Resistance:** A rare situation. Resistance has poor PD, and is reliant on fighter support, leaving them to choose between the Neutron Missiles or your bombers, but 9k batteries are very dangerous against the Minos. Olympias are very dangerous as they have better toughness, torpedoes, and broadsides. In general Resistance won't mind getting in close and mixing it up with the Minos and you will need all your cyborg cunning (and faction cards) to tilt things in your favor.

**Synergies:** Calypsos and Agrippas can get this ship close, and it needs some help in that department. Otherwise a squadron of Harpocrates to keep an opposing heavy or superheavy locked down while you club it to death.

#### Kairos - Fast Battleship

**Role:** With two forward light batteries and some neutron missiles, the Kairos uses its speed to rush smaller ships and bully them. Overall firepower is low for a battleship, and at the same cost as the Minos you trade the side firepower for forward firepower.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** A rough matchup, the UCM light tonnage tends to be in atmosphere or augmenting cruiser packs.
* **Scourge:** The speed on this ship can let it get in range of cloaked destroyers, but that also means you will be the first target for back line Akumas.
* **PHR:** Other PHR battleships have better firepower, so this ship should not try to take them on head to head. rather it should target Calypsos, Ourania and light packs to free up your firepower for enemy heavy hitters.
* **Shaltari:** The speed of a Karios and its scan make it almost comparable to Shaltari ships. However it is still vulnerable to Mercuries. Use it to rush motherships and other back line vessels in order to force the Shaltari player to turn.
* **Resistance:** A nasty surprise to rush Aldrins, but generally getting close to the Resistance means they can actually shoot back.

**Synergies:** Calypso support is always handy, and this ship can easily keep up with Agrippas.

#### Rhadamanthus - Close In Fast Battleship

**Role:** Boasting a large CAW compliment and some side heavy batteries, the Rhadamanthus does much more damage than a Karios while retaining the speed. A true option vs. the Minos, this ship trades the torpedoes and some broadside weapons for improved CAW with the hornet drone hive and extra thrust. It wants to get in and mix it up in close quarters, and with its scan and thrust it can be very dangerous in this role. It also can fire most weapons on standard orders, like the Minos. If you feel your Minos is taking too long to get somewhere, and the CAW isn't as impactful as you wish, try this ship instead. It will push out a whopping 12 damage vs. most ships, enough to sink or nearly destroy even battlecruisers in one volley. The key to this ship is controlled aggression. Do not drive it right at your opponent and give them time to shoot it. Crash through a debris field (hello Agrippa) when the time is right and the fleets are close. Try to get into side arcs where enemy battleships often don't have much firepower.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** The Rome and Perth are your two main adversaries here. The former does area denial, the latter long range sniping. Rome heavy torpedoes ignore Calypso benefits. Try to pick off the Rome ahead of time with other ships.
* **Scourge:** While the Rhadamanthus doesn't have as much CAW as some Scourge options, the speed and damage is still significant, mostly ignores cloak and silent running, and operates in the side arc where most Scourge ships have reduced firepower. If you can keep it on the sides of Scourge ships they will have trouble dealing with it.
* **PHR:** Other PHR battleships are snipers, like the Herc or Sarpedon. Don't rush straight at those ships, try to get on their sides. You can bully the Karios, but the Minos has torps and broadside batteries that are more dangerous.
* **Shaltari:** The speed of a Rhadamanthus and its scan make it almost comparable to Shaltari ships. However it is still vulnerable to Mercuries. It is a frightening opponent in close, and will cause Shaltari to raise shields as otherwise they will get flattened by it. Keep some back line ships in LOS to take advantage when that happens.
* **Resistance:** Tridents and Olympia are big brick counters to this ship, they don't mind getting in range and don't mind being in the side arc. You can use your speed and cover to get in the initial blow, possibly getting to crits on these ships before they fire back, just don't let them go WF with both 9ks on your ship.

**Synergies:** Calypso support is always handy, and this ship can easily keep up with Agrippas.

#### Sarpedon - Sniper Battleship

**Role:** Exchanging the broadsides of the Heracles for forward guns, the Sarpedon wants to charge into the fray guns blazing. It works well with other fast forward armed PHR frigates and the Ourania, but the need to go weapons free makes it a large, threatening target that few opponents will ignore. Treat it like a big Pompeius. The main weapon is a F(n) burnthrough compared to the Herc's Dark Matter Cannon, and both operate similarly in that they often forgo firing secondary weapons to line up the main gun. In contrast to the DMC, the Twin Meganova laser will average more damage, but doesn't apply a cripple status effect. Note that unlike the other Kairos-based hulls, this ship doesn't have thrust 10". Treat this as an alternative to the Herc, trading the late turn broadsides and DMC for the meganova and forward light batteries. In PHR vs. PHR matchups, this ship could allocate the light batteries to Calypso and the meganova to a main target, but this is hard to pull off.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Same as the Herc
* **Scourge:** Same as the Herc
* **PHR:** Same as the Herc
* **Shaltari:** In jousts with the Diamond, this ship can allocate the light batteries to supporting Opals.
* **Resistance:** Generally lacking support ships, the Meganova is effective vs. the heavier armored Trident, Centurion and Phalanx class ships.

**Synergies:** Ouranias and Calypsos are the most common and effective support. Pandoras are an expensive, but complementary frigate. With Calypso support the Sarpedon can win jousts with other battleships. Alternatively, can hide within the Agrippas debris fields while engaging, as the debris field will effectively hide the energy spike from weapons free.

### Heavy Ships

#### Pungari Thresher - Hive Ship

**Role:** A good source of drop, in a fleet that has better choices in the Ganymede and Orpheus. You can take this for style, but it won't add much you can't do with line cruisers. Note Pungari bombers are inferior to PHR bombers, yet take up the same launch assets.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Outranged and with plenty of Aegis support, the UCM doesn't fear the Thresher much.
* **Scourge:** Bombers can be useful vs. cloaked ships, but the Scourge have plenty of ships that can rush the Thresher and take it down.
* **PHR:** The PHR has many tools to deal with the Thresher, leave it at home.
* **Shaltari:** The Shaltari have little to fear from this ship, leave it at home.
* **Resistance:** With their low PD, the Thresher can be a sold drop/bomber platform over a central cluster, but even though the corruptor shots are more likely to hit against the Resistance, the late damage and odds that the Triumvir is around will limit their effect. The Orpheus is probably still the most effective choice.

**Synergies:** Primarily a drop-oriented ship, pair it with other troop ships or protective ships like the Calypso and Pollux.

#### Bellerophon - Heavy Carrier

**Role:** The Bellerophon is an excellent ship, and compliments any PHR fleet very well. Its fire power is split between bombers, a close action weapon and a single twin laser, which means the Bellerophon can stay on standard orders without any loss of its power. In addition, you’ve only got a single weapon arc to consider, giving you excellent chances to fire every single one of its weapons, every turn, against a preferred target. This also includes the ability to focus the entire barrage against a single target, something the PHR fleet often struggles to do. The only downside is that F(N) weapons force you to close with an opponent, meaning you will get in the thick of things eventually.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** The UCM has the same "beams and bombers" strategy, and you can be outgunned by New Cairos or Perth/Avalon squadrons if you just joust. Don't be afraid to forgo using the supernova lasers to take cover and preserve your bombers for later in the game.
* **Scourge:** Bombers are very effective against the Scourge, who lack access to Aegis and thus must devote launch to fighters rather than bombers. Bombers also are effective against cloaked ships, which most Scourge players prefer.
* **PHR:** You will likely see these ships in opposing PHR battlegroups, so plan appropriately.
* **Shaltari:** Very effective against Shaltari, who risk increased damage from bombers if they raise shields to defend against the laser.
* **Resistance:** Effective against both the heavier armoured Resistance ships as well as keeping Resistance fighters busy.

**Synergies:** Prime choices for Calypso support for defense and Ouranias for power projection. Sometimes paired with Priams or Ajaxes to keep pesky frigates and corvettes at bay, but you could also use them in a different battlegroup for force projection.

#### Sisyphus - Bombardment Cruiser

**Role:** Cluster denial. Equipped with light batteries, bombardment and a torpedo, the Sisyphus is equipped to bombard sectors while light batteries take potshots at strike carriers in atmosphere or supporting light ships around the cluster, with a backup torpedo to target cruisers or heavier ships. This is not as offensively oriented as other heavy cruisers but can be a heavy anchor over a central cluster that is hard to shift, given its large hull points. It does need weapons free orders to operate at peak efficiency, so it will draw fire. It works best as a compliment to troopships, escorting them and adding bulk to the line. As of the 2.5 update this ship got a reduction in point cost and its light batteries were normalized to match the general PHR battery changes. In general this ship is in a very competitive spot, against good offensive ships such as the Pompeius and Bellerophon and powerful support ships like the Agrippa. This tends to make it comparatively rare as most players are happy with a Ganymede.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Somewhat effective vs. Delhi/Vienna swarms, but needs backup as that is a pretty heavy group.
* **Scourge:** Torpedoes are very effective vs. cloaked ships, and the light broadsides are murder vs. scourge frigates and destroyers.
* **PHR:** Not as effective, as even Medea are armored and bombardment tends to be second to drop.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari suffer disproportionately from bombardment, as they have a lower amount of total drop. However they also have plenty of anti armor tools. A Sisyphus can be good, but so could other options.
* **Resistance:** Sisyphus are very good vs. Aldrins, strike carriers, and can torpedo pesky cruisers. By the same token Resistance Mass drivers are just as effective shooting it.

**Synergies:** Good synergy with Ganymede and Orpheus. Works as a later supplement to a bunch of Media over a central cluster to claim orbital control during scoring phases.

#### Achilles - Heavy Cruiser

**Role:** The Achilles design is a bit of a contradiction. Its weapons are powerful and they are designed to pile onto the enemy’s heavy ships, but due to the broadside configuration you can never focus fire with the Achilles. The result is a ship that wants to hunt and focus its weapons onto a heavy foe before it can fight back, that's forced to split its fire due to weapon configuration and limiting damage to 3-4 hull at best. It overpays for the torpedo, and in general is outshone by equivalent points of Electras. ~~It also has a hard time taking advantage of Ouranias due to the broadside configuration, making this an inferior choice to every other ship in the vanguard slot. Compared to the Hector, it does one more point of damage on weapons free, but sacrifices any forward damage to do so.~~ As of the 2.5 update the broadsides have been upgraded to the new heavy profile and linked, making the ship much easier to use and a viable contender. It never needs Weapons Free orders, and thus seldom will present itself as a good target for enemy ships while dishing out some hurt each turn.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** The heavy calibre guns would be good, if forward mounted. By the time you can theoretically bring both broadsides to bear, the UCM's Cobra lasers will have eliminated your Achilles.
* **Scourge:** Scourge heavy cruisers are generally backline ships, and their dreads have stealth and full cloak as well, meaning Shadows and battleships are your best targets. As CAW experts, Shadows will generally rush from cover, and the battleships have furnace fangs that will win the damage race against the Achilles.
* **PHR:** The Achilles can almost be good in these matchups, given the PHR's good armour across the board, ~~but they are facing Electras which are flat out better.~~ As of the 2.5 update Electras did not get a profile change to the new heavy calbre guns, making the Achilles slightly better as it does not require weapons free and each broadside is more effective than an weapons free Electra.
* **Shaltari:** A poor choice, given the low armour on most Shaltari ships. Lock 3+ weapons are less impactful vs. higher volume of shots in this matchup. Shaltari Shields are very effective vs. low number of shot weapons that rely on crits.
* **Resistance:** Much like the PHR, the Resistance has a number of well-armoured ships that the heavy calibre guns are effective against. The Resistance also has lots of XN-31s and vent cannons, which are equally effective against the Achilles and can point forwards.

**Synergies:** Ouranias if you must.

#### Hector - Heavy Cruiser

**Role:** The Hector has its assets split between all arcs of fire, making it very tricky to use the ship efficiently. The firepower is there on paper, but in reality you will be forced to split that fire against multiple targets in widely different parts of the field, if you can even find targets within each arc at all. Typically you will use the laser as you approach, then turn 4-6 use broadsides from the middle of the map. As of the 2.5 update the Hector no longer needs weapons free orders to fire its broadsides at full effect, meaning you only need that order to fire the laser and broadsides at the same time. This is an improvement, but it will still be rare that you will have targets in every arc for a weapons free order. The Hector's Supernova laser was buffed to more often achieve the full damage of 6, as well as the side guns gaining Calibre M. This makes the ship a little better, as it can approach with the supernova laser then switch to its broadsides late game without needing special orders. This keeps its signature lower compared to Bellaraphon which will get spikes from launch. The other advantage is that normally, ships with F(n) weapons are locked into approaching the enemy fleet in order to keep firing their weapon. The Hector can turn to avoid incoming fire from enemy burnthrough weapons and use its broadsides instead.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** A Hector can replicate the standard UCM long range Cobra laser sniping, and in theory once in close can turn to its massed broadsides for more damage late game.
* **Scourge:** Without Ourania support, the Hector won't get a target lock on Akumas, and is no more resilient to CAW attacks then other heavy cruisers. You are better off with Bellerophons.
* **PHR:** Will lose to Electras and Pompeius, and taking it means your launch is now on Ikarus or fragile Andromedas.
* **Shaltari:** Hematite and Onyx can easily sink this ship if it jousts with them. You have to use cover or Agrippas to get an approach to bring the broadsides to bear, which is difficult at best.
* **Resistance:** The buff to the broadsides and the laser make the Hector a good ship vs. Resistance. The supernova laser is effective vs. the 2+ armor ships, while the broadsides are more generally capable vs the cruisers.

**Synergies:** The usual, but the Hector really works best naked, as a stalking horse to get an opponent to focus on it over your other, more valuable ships.

#### Priam/Scipio - Battlecruiser

**Role:** The Priam and Scipio are the same ship configuration, the difference between them is purely cosmetic.

In many ways the Priam/Scipio is very comparable to the Bellerophon, and it’s all about the power of the PHR Bombers. The main difference between them is that the Priam/Scipio comes equipped with arrays of broadside Calibre (L), which can be difficult to use effectively on a carrier. It has significant speed, when paired with other fast launch assets like Andromeda to put bombers into an opponents back line early and ward off small units of frigates or corvettes that come to screen the main fleet.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Widespread use of Aegis makes the rear line bombers less of an advantage, meaning the Priam is going to be a more conventional ship of the line and you are probably better off with a Bellerophon instead.
* **Scourge:** Scourge have many dangerous frigates and corvettes that want to get close, making a Priam a good choice.
* **PHR:** The speed advantage can bring bombers in to play early, but that exposes your unsupported ship to fire from Electras.
* **Shaltari:** A good choice, the poor Shaltari armour suffers from massed fire and their low hull makes the hits hurt more. The high speed compensates for the normally superior scan.
* **Resistance:** High speed, scan and armour make this a good choice in dealing with the slow, low PD Resistance fleets. Note that Resistance turrets will have an easier time getting the Priam in an arc compared to Shaltari fixed forward armaments.

**Synergies:** The Priam/Scipio wants to be paired with other carriers, such as the Bellerophon, to serve as additional protection while also benefiting from the protection dedicated to your carrier group, such as the Pollux or Calypso. However, you could field a lower cost (and lower SR) Ajax instead and spend the points difference elsewhere. A fast carrier group of a Priam escorted by Andromedas can bring significant bomber waves to places where your opponent doesn't have sufficient defense, and won't be penalized by the high SR as much if going with an Agrippa.

#### Agamemnon/Leonidas - Battlecruiser

**Role:** The Agamemnon and Leonidas are the same ship configuration, the difference between them is purely cosmetic.

The Agamemnon/Leonidas delivers a lot of shots 36 spread between 6 weapon arrays on its side arcs, the majority of which are Calibre (L). This means the ship often serves as a threat too impactful to ignore, and hence becomes a great distraction while the rest of your fleet carry out their objectives. Generally speaking, the goal here is to get the Agamemnon/Leonidas into position to cleave directly through the enemy fleet on weapons free, taking full advantage of a late+early activation, before going up in a blaze of glory - possibly taking a few more ships with it in the ensuing explosion. Unlike the Pompeius or Achillies, the Agamemnon isn't designed to take on heavy or superheavy targets. Against L or M tonnage it becomes much more dangerous as it can focus down most line cruisers or destroy up to three light ships per broadside. It is also fast compared to most other battlecruisers, and can keep up with Europas for additional firepower. Roll up a flank, then dive in the middle of the board on turn 4 with guns blazing. As of the 2.5 update, this is one of the few PHR ships to still require weapons free orders to fire at full effect.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Try to target lighter groups like New Cairos, Kyivs, and Seattles. Heavier ships can often weather the Leonidas fire and then dish out equal amounts of pain.
* **Scourge:** Lower armour means that the Leonidas will do more damage, but often in the center of the Scourge fleet it will take it in return.
* **PHR:** Electras and Pompeiuses are likely to get the first shot in, unless you are careful to time your dive into the opposing fleet with other elements.
* **Shaltari:** Lower hull and armour makes the Leonidas more dangerous, but by the same token the Shaltari have lots of options to respond with, from the Onyx and Hematite to CAW ships like the Jet. You will need to use cover to advance to the point you can go weapons free on several ships at once.
* **Resistance:** The Resistance is a tough matchup, they have lots of heavier ships that can do significant damage to the Leonidas as well as lots of turreted weapons that make it easy to line up shots. The Leonidas can be effective if it targets smaller ships like frigates, light cruisers and unarmoured cruisers.

**Synergies:** Europas have the same move, and broadside weapons, so they pair well for a good amount of firepower and to make the battlegroup capable of crippling larger enemy ships in a single salvo. Calypsos can keep it afloat, but you may need them elsewhere. Few other ships are fast enough to keep up and have complementary weapons.

#### Pompeius - Battlecruiser

**Role:** Exchanging the broadsides of the Leonidas for forward guns, the Pompeius wants to charge into the fray guns blazing. It works well with other fast forward armed PHR frigates and the Ourania, but the need to go weapons free makes it a large, threatening target that few opponents will ignore. Note that it is not F(N), so can do some minor evasion when taking on higher DPS ships. This ship works better when targeting larger ships so the calibre H&S shots come into play. This elevates it in one-on-one fights to even or slightly better than most battlecruisers but needs to go weapons free to do so, making support via Calypsos or Ouranias important to survive return fire. This ship didn't change in the 2.5 update, and is still the king of focused, front arc damage in the PHR arsenal short of a Romulus Dreadnought. Note that as a front arc ship that needs to go weapons free for full effect, this ship struggles late game where it may have to turn to bring its guns to bear.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** The Pompeius does out damage Perths or Johannesburgs, but needs to go weapons free to do so. On weapons free it can cripple Romes, but needs support to finish them off before they can fire their torpedoes. If you want to go the firepower route, then it is a good choice vs. Bellerophons.
* **Scourge:** High thrust and good scan means the effective threat range on the Pompeius is 24", which is 2" more than the Akuma's threat range. Scourge players will need to active scan the Pompeius to keep it from getting a first shot on the Akuma, something they may not be able to do. One WF volley will cripple Scourge battlecruisers/heavy cruisers, eliminating their cloaking crests and making them far more vulnerable. Likewise, the Pompeius will do significant damage to Scourge battleships and dreads, making them a priority one target for Scourge players. This can be an advantage, in that Scourge players must try to engage the Pompeius and will have to risk getting out of position to do so.
* **PHR:** A good matchup, the Pompeius's forward mounts can do some good damage before other PHR ships can reply effectively.
* **Shaltari:** Very similar in performance and style to Shaltari ships, the Pompeius is a good counter especially with active scan support.
* **Resistance:** Gladiators and the Phalanx have enough armour to survive a single weapons free attack without being crippled, which means that the Pompeius can't go it alone.

**Synergies:** Ouranias and Calypsos are the most common and effective support. Pandoras are an expensive, but complementary frigate. With Calypso support the Pompeius can win jousts with any other battlecruiser. Alternatively, can hide within the Agrippas debris fields while engaging, as the debris field will effectively hide the energy spike from weapons free and the Agrippa has the same speed. If you are not as worried about the speed difference Electras have similar armament and can add enough damage to one shot most battle cruisers.

#### Agrippa - Interference Cruiser

**Role:** This is more of a support ship than an offensive powerhouse. The ability to block LOS, apply a significant hit penalty, and delay/destroy torpedoes via the debris field it generates is very powerful. Beware though that this is a very frustrating ship to play against, especially with Calypso support, and won't win too many friends in friendly matchups.

As of the 2.5 update, the field is back to a dense field, making it very effective at stopping enemy fire, however now these are limited to weapons free or station keeping orders, limiting mobility to straight lines or local areas. The field still disappears during the round up phase, so there is an opening for early activations at low SR to snipe this ship out. The requirement of WF orders means it will almost always have a major spike, so ships won't need Active Scan support to target the Agrippa. The change makes Agrippas a little more vulnerable to launch assets, especially torpedoes, as dodging them requires dropping the field (and thus no double save from being in the field + a course change order). Outside of early snipe attempts, the Agrippa is still a very powerful tool for protecting your fleet. The debris field can ensure your larger ships can fire with impunity as the +2 lock penalty effectively blunts fire from outside and the scan penalty prevents many ships from using close action weapons against targets inside. Even a London on weapons free orders will barely manage a handful of hits through the field. The close action weapons in the form of drone swarms are mildly dangerous, as lock 5+ doesn't crit and they can't be focused on one ship.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** UCM sniping and torpedoes have a tough time with the field. Use it to hinder Havana salvoes and long range shots from New Cairos, Perth/Avalons. Beware a UCM Rome pushing forward to drop two heavy torps on the Agrippa to ensure it keeps the field down.
* **Scourge:** Scourge snipers hate this ship. They also have a number of fast frigates/corvettes/cutters/lighters that you can drop the field on prior to an activation to great effect.
* **PHR:** The Agrippa is very powerful in PHR mirror matches, as the revision to heavy calibre means that they are now hitting on 5s and critting on 6s.
* **Shaltari:** Particularly useful in countering the range advantage of the Shaltari. Their poor armour and low hull points makes them particularly vulnerable to hits from debris fields and without the range advantage they start to suffer from the forward arc focus on their weapons.
* **Resistance:** Another good matchup, the Resistance have poor scan to start, so the additional limitations of the debris field can counter the scan from Galileos and the incoming murderous fire from XN-31 railguns. The low PD on most resistance ships makes the Agrippa's CAW more effective.

**Synergies:** This ship doesn't need help - instead use it to screen your important ships from return fire. Ouranias hiding in the debris fields make for effective spotters. Debris fields knock off 12 inches of scan - essentially a major spike - so carefully placed fields can let you shoot and not be shot by other ships. It can also escort things like the Romulus, Minos or Leonidas across the map better than a pair of Calypsos.

#### Resistance Centurion - Grand Cruiser

**Role:** Initially a tournament exclusive, the Resistance were eventually expanded into their own fleet. You still have the option to take a Centurion, but in general have better choices in other PHR ships. It is tough but slow, and with low range and other issues that make it difficult to fit with the rest of the fleet. The turret does allow it to shoot forward, and if it had the PHR scan of 8" it would be better than a Hector, but the lower scan and lower number of broadside shots means that other PHR ships can output the same firepower at near the same level of survivability. As of the 2.5 update the Centurion had its broadside shots increased by 1. The main selling points of the Centurion is its toughness. 15 hull and 2+ Ablative armor can soak up some fire. The PHR have several means to increase that toughness via Calypso and Agrippas, as well as compensate for the poor scan via Ourania. For single target damage the Centurion lags behind the Pompeius and Agamemnon, but is slightly ahead of the Achillies (not including the torp). The combination of forward and side firepower means the Centurion can contribute both in the early and late turns of a game, even on WF orders.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Usable vs. a range of UCM ships, and the UCM needs to use their heavier weapons to deal with the Centurion's armor.
* **Scourge:** Scald helps somewhat vs. the Centurion's armor, and the low thrust and scan hinder it vs. the faster Scourge vessels.
* **PHR:** This is a workable ship vs. other PHR fleets, but may lose out vs. more specialized ships.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari Particle and Mauler weapons are very effective vs. the Centurion, as are their vastly superior thrust and scan.
* **Resistance:** A mirror match, where the Resistance may field their own Centurions or ships like it.

**Synergies:** The usual Calypso, Ourania and Aggrippa support. It's thrust is low enough that it can walk a pair of Aradine to a cluster as well, since most attention will be on it.

### Medium Ships

#### Theseus - Light Cruiser

**Role:** The Theseus is a very well designed ship at a very good price; the choice of guns, their placement and separately linked broadsides gives you options: one safe, another more daring. The first of these is to have the ship move up the side of the board, facing one of its sides towards its targets and then pivot at an angle to lay down a barrage of shots each turn. Your other option is to fly straight down the field, dive in amidst the enemy fleet, firing 18 shots plus drones at up to 5 different targets. Combining this tactic with other ships executing a similar do-or-die maneuver, such as some of the PHR battlecruisers, you can deliver a decisive blow to the enemy fleet in the early turns. With the advent of cutters, the light calibre guns are much more useful now. To coordinate such an attack needs several turns of silent running before getting into range to go WF with multiple ships. Never do this with just one or two, as you need to kill an as of yet inactivated battlegroup so that you don't just trade ships with your opponent.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** the ship against UCM
* **Scourge:** the ship against Scourge
* **PHR:** the ship against PHR
* **Shaltari:** the ship against Shaltari
* **Resistance:** the ship against Resistance

**Synergies:** A fast ship, Theseuses work well with other Theseuses, a Leonidas, or Europas.

#### Ikarus - Vanguard Carrier

**Role:** On paper the Ikarus appears strong, but its value is split between launch assets and guns and therefore often finds itself in danger while it attempts to utilize its guns or ends up simply wasting them. Although it’s a tempting idea to fly it up the board and unleash broadsides and PHR bombers, it’s generally a better idea to take other smaller ships and separate your launch and broadside arsenals. You may need to use this ship if you have already filled your vanguard slots with other options then the Bellerophon. In that case, it is best to operate in pairs. As of the 2.5 update the medium broadsides were buffed, putting it on a more even footing vs. the Seattle. A pair of these are now more viable, much like a UCM Seattle Pair, if you don't want to take Bellerophon or Priams.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** ~~Generally inferior to the Seattle as a combat carrier,~~ if the Ikarus leads the way alongside the Orpheus/Ganymede it can help in the center of the map. Watch out for attempts to snipe it with low SR Kyiv/Reykjavik or Burnthrough groups.
* **Scourge:** The Ikarus lacks the firepower to slug it out with Scourge CAW groups, nor the forward firepower to deter their approach. Avoid.
* **PHR:** It can be an okay choice if you have loaded up your vanguard slots with other options.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari have many tools to deal with the Ikarus, while it doesn't have much in the way of an advantage in most respects.
* **Resistance:** The Resistance generally can deal with the Ikarus's armour but having more launch against them is a real advantage. This makes the Ikarus an ok choice.

**Synergies:** The Ikarus doesn't need to be in the front line, and thus can pair with Pollux for Aegis, escort Adrianne for drop, or take Europas for additional firepower.

#### Perseus - Cruiser

**Role:** This ship combines Calibre (L) and Calibre (H&S) gun batteries, making it able to tackle a variety of other vessels. The main issue is that the split focus between the guns means its damage is often lacking, especially against larger ships. Though flexible, the Perseus often struggles to really perform, often wasting one type of shots against the wrong targets. The light batteries can do damage and should take out lighter ships, but the heavy calibre guns are only going to put a point on larger ships. As of the 2.5 update both its batteries got a slight buff consistent with the overall PHR changes. Still take it in pairs, as then it masses enough firepower to threaten ships as it advances down the middle of the table.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** UCM has lots of light ships that would make fine targets, but doesn't tend to mix battlegroups. That means you often will be wasting one or the other broadside vs an Orion or Ajax.
* **Scourge:** Lighter armour makes the heavy calibre guns less efficient.
* **PHR:** A rare point where the Perseus might be better than an Orion, but the lower number of shots holds it back.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari have poor armour, making light broadsides more effective, but reducing the advantage of heavy calibre. You are better off with Ajax or Orians here.
* **Resistance:** The one list where this ship can work well, the larger Resistance ships will have good armour, making the heavy calibre guns more useful, and the lower scan in general will allow the Perseus to get fire solutions on Light and Heavy tonnage more often. Many Resistance cruisers will only have 5+ armour, meaning the light calibre broadside has a better chance of slipping some damage in.

**Synergies:** Other Perseus, or a Pollux for some Aegis.

#### Ajax - Cruiser

**Role:** The Ajax is a fearsome ship, able to output 20 (!) Calibre (L) shots. If you manage to position this ship properly, often straight up the board between two clusters, it is not uncommon to destroy 4 enemy frigates in a single activation. Due to all the gun batteries being linked together, it does well on standard orders. The front-facing laser is a bit of a dud - despite having Flash, it's generally not worth attempting to fire it if you can instead position those broadsides better. It is absolute murder against cutters and frigates, and keeping one around to ward off those ships from your squishier fleet elements can be a lifesaver. As of the 2.5 update the change to lock 4 on these broadsides makes them a bit more capable against cruisers and M tonnage ships as well, positioning this ship as a great all round cruiser.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Great against Reykjaviks, Kyivs, and other light ships.
* **Scourge:** Useful to break up packs of Djinns, Succubi, or Hirukos. It can also limit the charge of Parasites and Wraiths.
* **PHR:** Useful for picking off smaller groups of frigates, especially Calypsos.
* **Shaltari:** The low armour in general on Shaltari makes even the cruisers more vulnerable to the massed fire from the light broadsides. Shields don't matter as much as well. Making this an excellent choice.
* **Resistance:** Very effective to keep Senecas away and pick off large packs of frigates. If you can get between a pack and use both broadsides you have achieved peak Ajax.

**Synergies:** Works best as a lone cruiser at SR 5, to keep larger SR frigates and cutters in check. Otherwise Theseus or another Ajax complement it well. You want to be in position to keep smaller ships away from your main fleet or punish any that dive in. Ourania can extend the range of the off broadside as well.

#### Orion - Cruiser

**Role:** This ship outputs a lot of shots, and a lot of damage, if you manage to get it to where it needs to be. The Orion wants to be hunting medium-sized ships. As a whole, it’s a very solid ship with a clear role. The template ship for most of the PHR, the Orion is solidly average in every way. The lack of significant forward-facing guns means that positioning is key and late game you want to be over a central objective. As of the 2.5 update these got a slight buff and no longer need to go weapons free. Note the front gun does not have the Calibre M rule for some reason.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Rios will do more damage on approach, so use debris fields for cover till you can show them your side or can slip between groups for a double shot.
* **Scourge:** Scourge rush tactics make the Orion harder to use, but its generalist nature make it an ok choice.
* **PHR:** Solid, if not outstanding performance due to the extra hull, you don't have many alternatives for gun cruisers though.
* **Shaltari:** Lower hull and armour mean that the Orion performs better then alternatives, but so does the Ajax if you need to shave points.
* **Resistance:** A good pick, where the Orion can crit enough to damage the hardier ships but have enough shots to threaten lighter ones.

**Synergies:** Europas and Pollux are complimentary vessels. Generally you want to get in a position where you have targets on both sides for optimal performance. You can use an Ouriana to extend ranges on one flank if your opponent splits their fleet.

#### Ganymede - Assault Troopship

**Role:** The Ganymede is a very strong troopship that really excels at dominating clusters. With 2 bulk landers and Bombardment batteries it’ll weaken the enemy’s ground presence while strengthening your own. Generally speaking this ship does very well targeting any mid-field cluster where you expect your opponent to attempt to fight for control of the sectors. Groups of two with Calypso support can absorb significant firepower. As of the 2.5 update the changes to bombardment and buff to its guns made this ship more effective. It can target enemy defense batteries with bombardment to ensure the safety of it's bulk landers.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** the ship against UCM
* **Scourge:** the ship against Scourge
* **PHR:** the ship against PHR
* **Shaltari:** the ship against Shaltari
* **Resistance:** the ship against Resistance

**Synergies:** Aegis, Calypso or Agrippa support to keep these ships alive is a must, as they are going to be a focal point for your opponent. Without much means to defend themselves they are not going to dissuade any ships from trying to take them out.

#### Orpheus - Assault Troopship

**Role:** The Orpheus is an excellent choice to fill the role of a mid-field cluster dropship. Its Calibre (L) guns and weight of fire will take care of enemy troopships and strike carriers, and its Flash laser can damage heavier ships, all the while its two bulk landers win you the objective game. The Orpheus does its job, and it does it well. A pair over the central objective supported by Calypso can absorb significant firepower and frustrate burnthrough heavy ships, including Perth/Avalons, Cthulu, and Romulus. The Orpheus is a predicable ship, it will head towards the main cluster and drop, so higher SR and late activations are not as punishing. Note unlike the Ajax, its broadsides are not 4 linked guns so it can only engage one target with each broadside. As of the 2.5 update both broadsides are linked, and got the same broadside changes as the rest of the PHR, ironically making them more effective vs. cruisers.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Tougher and with more firepower than a San Fran, this can also take potshots at New Orleans in Atmosphere to help tip the ground game in your favor.
* **Scourge:** Target #1 for Djinns, Parasites, and other ships to dive upon, as they know where and when it is going. With some support, it can survive and leave them exposed over the central objective.
* **PHR:** The laser can be useful, but you might want to consider Ariadnes instead.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari dislike these ships, as they can target gates with some success, bring plenty of drop, and have the hull to survive some of the nastier ships they can throw at it.
* **Resistance:** The Orpheus would make a fine resistance ship and works just as well against them.

**Synergies:** A good choice for Calypso support, the high hull and armour make your opponent focus significant firepower to take this group out. Other choices include a Pollux for Aegis, or Ariadnes for extra drop support.

### Light Ships

#### Castor - Monitor

**Role:** The Castor is decidedly average, offering a large amount of shots when going weapons free in its front arc. It's held back by being slow - while its 10” scan alleviates that somewhat, its ability to actually reach targets can be an issue against clever opponents. However, since the Castor relies on number of shots rather than Calibre or raw power, it excels at hunting down whichever enemy ships the rest of your fleet might struggle with, which often means medium-sized targets. Even with its range, it is very vulnerable to enemy cutters that can achieve a first strike without spikes. Even with Fusillade, it will only be doing around 3 damage to most cruisers, battlecruisers or battleships.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** As a trap to punish Reykjaviks, this ship is inferior to Ajax.
* **Scourge:** A good counter to Scourge rush tactics, the tough little Castor's shots become more effective against the lighter armour of the forward Scourge elements.
* **PHR:** The PHR's high armour makes this a poor choice, unless your opponent brings Jasons or Odysseuses.
* **Shaltari:** The Caesium and Gallium are solid counters to this ship, and the Shaltari have numerous other choices that counter the Castor.
* **Resistance:** The Castor is one of the better ships vs. Sagittarii spam, but won't be very effective against the heavier Resistance ships.

**Synergies:** Works well with Ouranias to extend its range, and limit return fire from weapons free.

#### Pollux - Escort Frigate

**Role:** The average point defense of PHR ships is middling at best, and with the best bombers in the game you'd really prefer to not be launching fighters to protect against incoming enemy threats. The solution to this dilemma is the Pollux - when combined with your carriers, its Aegis (7) can keep them safe from enemy bombers while you launch your own, deadlier, squadrons.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Very effective against launch-heavy UCM bombers.
* **Scourge:** The premiere CAW faction, which means every bit of PD helps.
* **PHR:** PHR bombers are dangerous, but often devolves into a cat and mouse game between your bomber groups and your opponent.
* **Shaltari:** Shaltari CAW often have Mauler or Beam, making PD pointless.
* **Resistance:** Hit or miss. Senecas are the main danger with their fire ships. To negate a single fire ship crit would require 18 PD, and each Seneca launches 3 fireships. You are better off killing the Senecas with Echos before they launch.

**Synergies:** The Pollux is a great companion to your carriers, such as the Bellerophon and Andromeda, allowing you to maximize the use of your bombers rather than launching fighters for protection. It can also accompany troopships like the Orpheus to central objectives, as those groups tend to attract lots of attention.

#### Electra - Destroyer

**Role:** The Electra combines the overall solid PHR ship statistics with some decent front arc calibre H&S guns, something that is somewhat rare within the faction. The only issue here is that apart from those front guns, the Electra offers very little - even though it's not bad, it's often overshadowed by other options. Alongside a smattering of other front-facing weapon options, the Electra offers the potential to soften, or eliminate, key targets as you maneuver your broadsides into position. Where it shines is against enemy heavy and superheavy groups, where a group of four will average 9 hull damage on larger vessels, causing a crippling roll on most battleships.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Lock 3+ weapons are a solid choice against most UCM cruisers and above.
* **Scourge:** Low armour in general makes the heavy calibre guns less points efficient, but the forward mounts can be used to hunt back line Scourge ships.
* **PHR:** A solid choice given the average armour of the faction.
* **Shaltari:** less effective due to poor target armour and superior target range.
* **Resistance:** An excellent choice. Most Resistance heavy groups have great armour, which the Electra's guns are very good against.

**Synergies:** Ouranias complement them well, giving them extreme range for their shots.

#### Ariadne - Destroyer

**Role:** The Ariadne is a very solid choice that fills a similar role to the Medea in that it prefers to find a close, safe cluster to drop its assets. However, the Ariadne has one crucial advantage over the Medea: front arc Calibre (H&S) guns. The Ariadne delivers consistent damage against its preferred targets, making it excellent at finishing off enemy ships that happened to survive an earlier onslaught, all while sitting back and utilizing its bulk lander. At one half the cost of a troopship, it is a viable alternative for lower threat areas. Beware of cutters singling it out for destruction.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Suffers from being targeted by Havana torpedoes and Reykjaviks.
* **Scourge:** The Ariadne's guns are less effective here, but more drop is always good.
* **PHR:** A solid choice in general.
* **Shaltari:** The guns aren't great here, but more drop always helps.
* **Resistance:** A great choice, especially when that Senator is lurking about.

**Synergies:** The point of an Ariadne is to blend into the background, quietly dropping troops and chipping in for a little bit of damage every turn while your opponent deals with bigger threats. As a result, it's best when operating on its own or with a troopship over a somewhat safe cluster.

#### Jason - Blockade Runner

**Role:** The Jason is an aggressive and specialized ship, delivering front arc Calibre (H&S) firepower and sporting exceptional thrust and a small signature. This means that the Jason excels at hunting enemy strike carriers and back line assets. Generally, its main drawback is that it in turn will be a high priority target for your enemy, so be sure to maneuver multiple other threats up the field at the same time or the Jason will be focused down before your main fleet can become engaged. The Reentry CAW allows it to snipe out strike carriers in atmosphere easily, without having to spend turns dropping to atmosphere like an Echo.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Jasons are good against early drops made by stealth lighters or strike carriers, but will need to use cover vs. the large rear contingents UCM fleets typically have and is a prime candidate for torpedo attack.
* **Scourge:** Scourge have numerous atmospheric frigates that the Jason can target aside from strike carriers.
* **PHR:** Medeas are a tough target for the Jason due to their armour, but the heavy calibre guns can worry some Bellerophons.
* **Shaltari:** Disabling key portions of the Shaltari gate network can be a game changer, but watch out for strikes by Caesiums.
* **Resistance:** A very good choice to take out Senecas, strike carriers, Triumvirs, or Senators.

**Synergies:** Echos pair well with the Jason, having similar thrust, sig and weapon compliment. Pegasus can also support in CAW attacks.

#### Odysseus - Blockade Runner

**Role:** A difficult ship to use properly. The Odysseus has very high speed compared to the Ariadne but lacks the armour and guns. Flying to a central cluster will just get it focused and shot down. Instead, it should target contesting back line clusters on turn 4 by running silent turns 1-2 and rushing turn 3 to nearby cover before a turn 4 drop and contest. Many players won't have back line drop assets, or a single strike carrier, so by turn 6 if the Odysseus remains uncontested it can take a rear line cluster. The main problem is that an opponent can easily detail cutters or corvettes to hunt down and eliminate the relatively unarmed Odysseus.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** the ship against UCM
* **Scourge:** the ship against Scourge
* **PHR:** the ship against PHR
* **Shaltari:** the ship against Shaltari
* **Resistance:** the ship against Resistance

**Synergies:** An escort of Echos or Pegasi work well in a group. With the Outlier rule, those ships are not tied to the Odysseus and can go after incoming frigates, corvettes and cutters, where their CAW is very effective. Echos can go into atmosphere to hunt a rear line strike carrier, and Pegasi are very tough and can take on larger packs of cutters/frigates, even hiding in debris fields to get the ambush. Their Regenerate rule makes debris fields far less dangerous to push through. Jasons can escort one, kill a rear line strike carrier, and allow for taking the rear line clusters, but this a big risk, big reward play.

#### Harpocrates - Guerrilla ECM Lighter

**Role:** This ship has one job and one job only - to really irritate your opponent by disabling their ships. They can cause a weapons off line or engines off line critical effect. This can completely neuter enemy battlecruisers, battleships, or dreadnoughts, and even prevent a troopship drop on scoring turns. With such a low SR they will always go before their target. Their weakness lies in their fragility, and the need to be within CAW range of the target, meaning that nearby support ships will often shoot them down. At 30 points each they are not cheap, and they will be targeted by enemy frigates, corvettes and cutters. If you can get them to disable a dreadnought on a key turn though, it is more than worth it. It might be worth holding them back for a late game entry on Column and Distant approach types to protect them for when an opposing heavy ship arrives.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Close Action (Beam) ignores Aegis, so the UCM can't block the shots, but the amount of turreted weapons they have makes it hard to hide your Harpocrates on the approach.
* **Scourge:** Scourge stealth lets them fire while on silent running, but the lack of turns means you might just be able to escort that Akuma or Cthulu off map.
* **PHR:** With firepower gaps in the front and rear arc, the Harpocrates can try to hide from ships for two turns of ECM glory.
* **Shaltari:** Uniquely, the ECM can disable Shaltari shields, since they cannot be used on silent running. This can have very big effects for Shaltari CAW cruisers reliant on that 4+ save, and for their dreadnoughts that want to get close in.
* **Resistance:** Lots of targets, from the heavy ships of the line to the humble Galileo, to disabling the Resistance launch support to enable your bombers, your Harpocrates are in a target rich environment.

**Synergies:** These ships are going to work best alone or in a low SR group with Echos or Pegasus. The key is to keep them in cover until it's time to make a critical dive on an enemy ship, usually tied to what your fleet is targeting and before that ship activates.

#### Echo - Corvette

**Role:** The Echo is one of the strongest corvettes in the game, but its price tag keeps it from being a solidly great choice. The Echo’s power comes from the combination of its two average weapons deployed against the same target, meaning the Echo always wants to be within 8” of its prey. Generally you can send them to hunt lighter ships in atmosphere and threaten enemy light carriers. It’s worth mentioning that this ship can stay in Silent Running and still fire both its weapons, due to Stealth and Close Action, but with such a low sig it seldom is a big benefit. Common uses are to secure a cluster from strike carriers, hunt enemy corvettes trying to do the same, and going after key enemy light ships like Calypsos, Parasites, Harpocrates, Senecas, Hirukos, etc.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** These can be a strong counter vs. Kyiv packs, or can try to hunt down Reykjaviks and strike carriers.
* **Scourge:** The Scourge have numerous atmospheric frigates, corvettes, and lighters that you can intercept with Echos.
* **PHR:** Target Ouranias, Calypsos and Medeas to cripple your opponent before they do the same.
* **Shaltari:** Good against gates, and with the low sig, you can go after Caesiums before they target your lighter support ships.
* **Resistance:** A solid choice, as Resistance strike carriers don't have Open or Outlier so they tend to group up on a single cluster.

**Synergies:** Echos can operate on their own, or alongside larger ships like the Pegasus or Jason. They're also a good choice of escort for a back line Odysseus for turn 4 drops.

#### Medea - Strike Carrier

**Role:** The Medea is an excellent ship - with its heavy armour, 5 hull, and ability to hide effectively in atmosphere, it can be very hard to get rid of and will often draw fire away from your damage dealers when they start dropping onto objectives. Its bombardment turret is decent, doubling down on its objective game.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** the ship against UCM
* **Scourge:** the ship against Scourge
* **PHR:** the ship against PHR
* **Shaltari:** the ship against Shaltari
* **Resistance:** the ship against Resistance

**Synergies:** ships that work well with this ship, typical battlegroups

#### Andromeda - Escort Carrier

**Role:** The Andromeda makes good use of the best bombers in the game. Ideally you want these close to the action so as to launch as many bombers as possible while sending your drones to harry your enemy. The issue with the Andromeda is that this playstyle makes them unlikely to survive for very long. They’re especially valuable when paired with some of the heavier PHR carriers to really overwhelm the enemy’s PD. A group of Andromedas with a Priam can push deep into the opponent's back line turn 3-4 to force them to turn or devote all their launch to PD.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** the ship against UCM
* **Scourge:** the ship against Scourge
* **PHR:** the ship against PHR
* **Shaltari:** the ship against Shaltari
* **Resistance:** the ship against Resistance

**Synergies:** Priams have the same thrust, making them good compliments.

#### Calypso - Frigate

**Role:** The Calypso is a great ship for protecting your important ships thanks to its unique ECM suite - a fantastic tool that often negates the opponents' ability to score a Critical Hit against Calypso-protected battlegroups. Said battlegroups should be constructed so as to favor standard orders or silent running, which will prevent your opponent from targeting the Calypso while your carriers begin their drops in relative safety. They are Rare, so put them with the groups you expect to take the most fire.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** the ship against UCM
* **Scourge:** the ship against Scourge
* **PHR:** the ship against PHR
* **Shaltari:** the ship against Shaltari
* **Resistance:** the ship against Resistance

**Synergies:** Every group wants some Calypsos around, but you need to put them where you expect to take the most fire, especially burnthrough fire.

#### Pandora - Frigate

**Role:** This frigate is an excellent marker ship thanks to the Flash rule on its laser. While you might only do one or two points of damage with each shot, you can light up the target to enable your heavy hitters to go to town on the now-exposed ship. The Pandora's thrust of 10" allows it to roam far ahead from the rest of your fleet, probing for optimal firing arcs, much like a Shaltari Jade.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** The UCM fleet frequently relies on adding spikes to their targets and staying just outside Lock + Signature range. The Pandora can Flash targets that your opponent is trying to keep out of range, making them more vulnerable than your opponent may expect.
* **Scourge:** The fleet's frequent reliance on *Stealth* and *Running Silent* can be countered easily with *Flash*. *Cloak* can however limit the impact to just removing the effects of *Silent Running.*
* **PHR:** The lower signatures and fewer options to deal with spikes make other PHR fleets good targets to be marked by a group of Pandora..
* **Shaltari:** Use the Pandora to add spikes to ships that the Shaltari player tries to sneak up on you without activating its shields.
* **Resistance:** The Resistance's ability to remove major spikes on standard orders means that the Pandora is less effective against them than other fleets.

**Synergies:** Ships with high damage potential but tight firing arcs, such as the Romulus, Pompeius and the Heracles, pair well with the Pandora.

#### Europa - Frigate

**Role:** The Europa is an all-around solid ship with a good amount of firepower. A group of them are excellent at splitting their fire across a number of other light tonnage vessels. You generally want to take advantage of its small signature to skirt the edges of the field, hunting other light ships , but you can also head them straight between the enemy fleet and fire those Linked broadsides! When the enemy retaliates, good placement might deliver a little extra as they explode.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** The average nature of the UCM fleet means that the Europa do well against both light and smaller medium-tonnage ships. Split your fire against the smaller ships, but combine it against the larger targets.
* **Scourge:** Scourge fleets frequently have large groups of light tonnage vessels that a group of Europa can move into and rip to pieces.
* **PHR:** Goodarmour saves and higher hull values make other PHR light vessels less ideal targets. Europa are comparatively fast however and can get into a good position to combine their firepower on a larger target.
* **Shaltari:** The speed of the Europa means that you can sneak up and force a Shaltari vessel to raise their shields before they are ready. Their powerful weapons means that while they can easily destroy a single Europa, dealing with a group before they can inflict damage is a lot harder.
* **Resistance:** Resistance light vessels can be on par with PHR ships damage-wise while having better toughness. However, their low Scan range means you can stay out of their way easier.

**Synergies:** Europas can function well on their own. They do however frequently get ignored in favor of juicer targets, and you can capitalize on that. They are a cost efficient way to add firepower to a Leonidas/Agamemnon or Orion group.

#### Pegasus - Nano-hive Cutter

**Role:** Cutters are fast, but the Pegasus main weapon is close action, limiting its overall threat range to just 20". What it does have going for it is the Regeneration rule, meaning that if it isn't destroyed, it will usually heal to full hull in the roundup phase. This lets it lurk in debris fields that would normally destroy other light ships to conceal it from return fire. Think of it like a pirate or submarine, trying to ambush ships before retreating back to the safety of a debris field. Its CAW attack will do 2-3 damage most of the time to smaller ships, which is generally enough to cripple or destroy them.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** A common targets for your Pegasi are Limas. Often alone, and poorly armed, these ships are essential to the UCM to achieve range advantage. A fast-moving Pegasus can take them out, then withdraw to the safety of a nearby debris field to strike again.
* **Scourge:** Scourge have numerous CAW ships like the Wraith, Hiruko, Shedu, and Lamassu that make for good targets of opportunity. Once these are gone, go for the heavier ships trying to hide via cloaking crests in the back line.
* **PHR:** Ideal for targeting support ships like Calypso and Harpocrates. Later, they can use their CAW attack to ambush Europas and Andromedas.
* **Shaltari:** Caesiums are deadly ships and will be targeting your light vessels with impunity, but that doesn't mean you can't sneak past them to take out shield-buffing Opals or elusive Cobalts. Then play tag with various heavy gate ships.
* **Resistance:** Low PD makes most Resistance vessels easy prey for CAW ships. Target Galileos to really nerf the whole fleet.

**Synergies:** Good combos are Echos, Jasons and Odysseuses. The latter tend to lure packs of frigates, corvettes and cutters away from the main line, which can move them into range for an easy intercept.

#### Ourania Swiftlink - Spotter

**Role:** A support ship, the Ourania lets ships measure range from it instead of themselves, provided they are within scan+ sig of the Ourania. This is fantastic, as it adds range over the standard major spikes other navies can do. It does make your Ourania a big target, as it will be closer to your opponent and with a major spike, so you need to be somewhat strategic with its use. With the capability to add 20" to the threat range of your back line ships, this can let you outrange almost anything in the game. A very strong choice for most fleets, even if all they do is force your opponent to chase after them.

**Matchups**

* **UCM:** Use the Swiftlink to target Avalon/Perths and other back line burnthrough packs.
* **Scourge:** Suddenly those Akumas can be in range for retaliation. Ditto for that Cthulu trying to silent run.
* **PHR:** Ideal for targeting support ships like Calypso and Harpocrates in preparation for broadside action.
* **Shaltari:** Caesiums are deadly ships and will be targeting your light vessels with impunity, use the Ourania as bait for a trap.
* **Resistance:** The Resistance already has lower range, so the Ourania is less important. Still, it never hurts to get two free turns of shooting over one.

**Synergies:** Any ship with powerful forward-facing armament: Romulus, Heracles, Pompeius, Electras, etc.