HOW TO PLAY Frigate and be USEFUL

This guide is for new players. A simple few steps to become useful. If you see a new player, reccomend this to them. Send this link to Hypno, he needs it.

## What is a Frigate?

Frigate is a ship, which´s main strength dwells in missiles and range. It´s autoattack with missiles is outranging any other ship. That is why you can one-sidedly attack enemy ships, while your shields regenerate, by just keeping proper distance from enemy.

## What to build

The starting build for frigate is agreed upon by all skilled players, and it is **2 engines, 2 sensor upgrades and 1 missile**. Engines are responsible for your speed, and sensors for the range of rockets and lasers.

The only alternating builds are sacrificing speed or range for more missile upgrades, but that is harder to use.

## How to play

Frigate can take both side and middle lanes with this build. But remember, you are going to be without assistance of allies in sideline, it is easier to die. Your gameplay should be trying to stay in range of your own rockets, to keep shooting enemy, while outside of his range. With 2 range upgrades, your rockets shoot up to 9,7 points, while battlecruiser reaches only 9 points, and Collosus and Dreadnought can shoot only to distance of 8 points.

While keeping your distance, also remember, that your lasers have range of 7,7 points. You want your lasers always shooting minions, not your opponents, because killing minions is how you earn minerals in this arcade.

From time to time, release your *Wraiths*. Those are your on-board fighters. If you release them (R + left click) to random location, they will fly toward there and attack any minions. They will ignore main ships. Your fighters will be destroyed but they are free and regenerate gradualy.

## First shopping

If you stay with your team and survive first cca 5 minutes of Star Battle, you should have quite a lot minerals, and now it is a time to spend them.

**Buy +1 sensors**, that will increase your range to 10.8 points. (Costs 200 minerals)

**Buy missile upgrades** - you should get atleast 5 to remain relevant. (175 minerals)

**Buy skill *Ripwaves***. This skill deals damage to everything, which touches your target. This includes minions, so it will help you farm. (Costs 150) Keep the skill active.

**Buy energy** - 3 upgrade points is enough (90 minerals)

If you can´t afford it all, buy the rest next time. If you farm well, you should have around 400 minerals on first back.

## Second shopping

Now it should be about 9-11 minutes. You should be back with another 400 minerals, and maybe much more if you had ripwaves. **First buy +2 laser**.

Then finish buying what you did not get from the *previous list*, (missiles, *ripwaves*, energy)

**+1 engine**

If you still have money, buy as many missile upgrades as you wish. You may also increase missile count in each volley, it costs 50/100/200 with each upgrade. For defense get some shields, but you should be too far from them to hit you with anything in the first place.

## Gameplay

Now you should be enough of a threat, that enemy support follows you around and throws *PDD* or *Force Fields* to obstruct your damage output. But you are not in the game for kills, just keep changing sides, and attacking different mainships, if enemy supports obstruct you. Make him/them follow you around and waste all energy. If he does not do so, punish them with damage. Try to target the ships which are not under support´s protection.

Now, *ripwaves* are kinda **double edged sword**. You need to turn them off if you are hitting an ally as well, this often happens when *Voidray* or tanks are touching enemy ships. You do not wanna kill your own tank, or destroy *your carrier*´s *interceptors*. Turn them off preemptively if the combat turns too chaotic.

Remember: **on retreat**, you need to cover your tank. Not physicaly, unless in dire emergency. But you need to fire at enemy ships chasing him, to persuade them it is not a good idea touching your teammates without your permission.

## Third shopping

This may happen as late as 18 minutes, especialy if you deal damage to enemy team. So if the 20th minute already aproaching, buy up to **4 lasers**. You may buy level 2 wraiths as well, that will keep them 2-hit farming until 30 minutes.

Now a skill, called **Quick Reload**. This allows you to shoot missiles twice in succession.

You will need **more energy**, at least 375 to play that.

And then get yourself **shields** and **rockets**.

This basicaly concludes this build. You have acquired ship which is strong in long ranged attack, while maintains good farming. Keep your lasers 2-hit, keep your wraiths 2-hit, and keep shooting missiles at enemy. This is the best build to counter *Dreadnought* and *Leviathan*.

## Other builds to use

#### Invisible Wraiths

Using the cloaking ability, and high level wraiths, *frigate* may attack unsuspecting targets like carrier, but your minions are invisible to enemy players, and hard to notice even when attacking. This build works well against newbies who do not know how to counter it, but it is c\*ckblocked by *PDD* and *Force Fields,* which absorb *Wraith*´s shots.

#### Ion cannon

This ability is similar to *yamato cannon* *Battlecruiser* has, but unlike battlecruiser, you can upgrade it´s damage. Also, it deals bonus damage to shields. This is powerful way to finish your opponents, but good support can prevent it. I do not reccomend this to new players, because you can easily lose control of your ship and fly to your death, while shooting this ability.

#### Torpedo rush

After you return the first time, instead of rockets and range, you can grab just torpedo and maybe some energy upgrades. But energy upgrades could be noticed by enemy supporter, so if you can avoid their energy denial, do not buy energy at all. There are tricks to master with torpedoes, such as turning torpedo, and you can combine your skill with carrier´s or arbiter´s ultimate abilities. Just remember, torpedo charges up for 4 seconds, and Vortex lasts 20 seconds. There is a clock on the bottom down panel. Please note that torpedo hurts everyone in explosion range.

#### Mine outplay

This is not properly mastered by almost anyone, despte being insanely strong. Mines are planted wherever you want, they are invisible (visible few seconds after deploying) and they explode when touched. You can have up to 60 mines anywhere on the map. Their damage starts at about 1000 points, and it scales a lot. Mines can be turned off, so unsuspecting enemy walks right into middle of huge minefield, and then you re-activate them. I have died like this and it is pain and suffering. Especialy if you had no idea enemy is building mines in the first place.

#### Mine spam

This may seem stupid, but throwing one mine randomly all over the map is a legit strategy. Not only it is near impossible to clear them, because they are all over the map. They also last 600 seconds. And each explosion is area damage, so it kills minions, thus giving you money and/or denying enemy´s farm. The biggest advantage is however your vision of entire map. You do not need to upgrade mines either, and you can keep using rockets.

## Farming Table

Minimum upgrade levels for efficiently farming as Frigate. If somebody knows values in the empty fields, feel free to fill them.

Minions get stronger every ten minutes. Keep your farming upgrades strong enough, so you do not fall behind in income.

You should stay 2-hit farming as frigate, unless there is carrier or guardian in enemy team. Remember, it is not your job to steal all money from team, your job is to deal damage. And you have limited time window of opportunity to do so in early- to mid-game, before Raven starts throwing *PDD*s everywhere.

## Abilities not mentioned

***Jamming systems*** - *Frigate* does not show up on *Raven*´s *Radar* and *Battecruiser*´s *Scan*. Useful for setting up warptrick. (Scan still cancels your invisibility normaly.)

***Afterburners*** - Frigates moves and turns faster for a short time after use. Missiles and skills reload slightly faster as well. This helps with shooting torpedoes, and fighting with missiles. Even Ion cannon can be shot better, if you mastered moonwalking. Duration is 10 seconds, cooldown 20 seconds. Cost is 75 energy, which is why I did not include it into this build, as beginners struggle with income. But it is great addition for it.

***Shield booster*** is an amazing upgrade to *Afterburner*s. It allows shield to regeneate, while in combat. SO MANY people do not know this. Frigate´s shield regen scales by +6 points per second for each upgrade. Compared to that, *Battlecruiser* scales just +4, and *Dreadnought* as well*.* If you have lvl 10 shields, and activate shield booster, you receive ((10 × 6) + 50)×10 = 1100 HP. It may not seem much, but you can overcome *Plague* with this, and it adds up during extended battles.

If you liked mine (Pyrochemik) guide, check also Raven´s guide I made.