Military

Your military is the most important part of the game. It's not just about the ships you can produce, though this is obviously important.. What makes this game unique is the tactics you can set that will make or break your path to victory. The combinations of ships you use in your fleet as well as the tactical options you choose will determine whether or not you emerge victorious. There are 4 classes of capital ships: Frigates, Cruisers, Battleships, and Carriers. Keep in mind that these ships require a certain amount of upkeep and must be repaired if damaged.

* *Note that basic rundown of combat mechanics is located in the tutorial.*

## Commanders

Commanders are the people who lead your ships to battle, controlling every action of the battle. However you can assign tactics to your fleets so that your commander will retreat when ordered and target certain ships. Their personality also decides how a battle will play out, changing things such as how much damage to allocate and whether to send fighters in from or behind corvettes. Their ranks go from 1-10, and the titles are as shown:

1. 2nd Commander
2. 1st Commander
3. Captain
4. Fleet Major
5. Fleet Marshal
6. Vice Marshal
7. Vice Commodore
8. Chief Commodore
9. Master Commodore
10. Vice Admiral

Each commander can command fleets with a maximum of 10k strength \* rank. This means a vice admiral (rank 10) can command 100k strength. Each commander can also command other fleets, allowing for attacks much greater than what the commander can control in his or her own fleet. The number of fleets a commander can control is, starting from rank 1: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,10. Ranking up also increases their stats.

With the new update, each statistic plays a part in battle. Perception improves targeting, moral improves damage, commanding increases the chance of an early ability activation, and tactics allows the commander to target what he/she thinks is necessary and override your preset tactics. Also, commanders have different personalities which also decide how closely they follow your retreat. Loose cannons follow them looser than a zealot would.

## Frigates

Fast but weak, these ships are the first ships you will unlock. In larger fleets, they serve as cannon fodder, though special frigates can also provide unique support. Anti-minor frigates, once unlocked, do well in groups, destroying enemy minors. Boarding ships perform sabotage against enemy ships.

* General
	+ Light Frigate
	+ Boarding Ship
* Intech:
	+ Outrider
	+ Vanguard
		- Special: Hammerhead
* Strontech
	+ Arc
	+ Rapphire
		- Special: Scythe
* Neotech
	+ Prime
	+ Glimmer

## Cruisers

Powerful but a bit slow, these ships are the second type unlocked. They have decent hull and the highest firepower/strength ratio of any capital ship. Special tech cruisers can have game changing effects on tactics and warfare. They also give special bonuses to other ships:

Battleships RECEIVE(bonus capped at 40 cruisers):

Absorb-bonus: Cruisers \* 20
Secondary Targeting: Cruisers / 3
Tertiary Targeting: Cruisers / 3
Frigates Receive (capped at 40 cruisers):

Secondary Targeting: Cruisers / 3
Absorb: Cruisers \* 5
* Intech:
	+ Spearhead
	+ Special: Adamant
* Strontech
	+ Starbeamer
	+ Special: Protector
	+ Special: Volker
* Neotech
	+ Infinite
	+ Special: Defender

## Carriers

Extremely slow, with high hull and low firepower, this is usually the third type of ship unlocked. They have carry space for 20 minor ships (more with upgrades).

* Intech:
	+ Colossus
* Strontech
	+ Heron
* Neotech
	+ Rivet

## Battleships

Slow but deadly, these ships are the most powerful ship available. They have a higher hull: strength ratio than cruisers, but less firepower: strength . In smaller fleets, with the right tactics and the right targets, battleships can win fights with no losses. In larger fleets, they are primarily used for tanking damage. They give special bonuses to other ships in the fleet:

Frigates RECEIVE(bonuses capped at 8 battleships):

Primary Targeting: Battleships \* 1
Primary Damage: 2% \* Battleships
Maneuverability : Battleships \* 1
Cruisers and Carriers RECEIVE (bonus capped at 8 battleships):

Primary Targeting: Battleships \* 1
Primary Damage: 2% \* Battleships
Secondary Damage: 2% \* Battleships
Tertiary Range: Battleships \* 1
Tertiary Targeting: Battleships \* 2
    Intech:

* Warden
* Omega

Strontech:

* Beast

Neotech:

* Beacon

* Gravity Well

### Fighters and Corvettes

#### Fighters

Fighters are small and maneuverable vessels that shoot down missles and take out other minor ships. They are traingles on the battlefield and are built 5 at a time.

Tier 1: 70 strength each, these are the first fighters you get, and are unlocked with a lvl 1 production facility for each tech. They target enemy fighters first
Intech
* Spike

Strontech
* Orb

Neotech
* Swoop

Tier 2: 90 strength each, these are fighters unlockable through the tech tree. They target enemy corvettes first and have greater speed and firepower than tier one fighters.
Intech
* Vulture

Strontech
* Bolt

Neotech
* Blink

#### Corvettes

Corvettes are designed to take on capital ships with their superior firepower while maintaining the speed of a fighter. They are built two at a time and are squares on the battlefield.

* Intech
	+ Anvil
* Strontech
	+ Blade
* Neotech
	+ Volt
		- Special: Ghost

## Planetary Defense Units (PDU)

Planetary defense units are relatively cheap and powerful homeworld and outpost defenses, but they can not move and of course can not attack other planets. There are several types of planetary defenses, and all have certain niches.

### Cannons

These orbital platforms are built for anti-frigate combat, and are extremely weak. However they do well in the early game when the only ships available are frigates.

### Artillery

These heavy cannons fire powerful missiles and are capable of destroying cruisers and battleships. When in large numbers and in conjunction with shield boosters these defenses will do heavy damage to slower ships such as the ones mentioned earlier. They are still vulnerable to corvettes.

### Shield Boosters

These defenses boost shields for all allied units in battle, up to 500 shield per turn spread among all defenses and ships. Though they can't attack capital ships, they can shoot down missiles and fire at minor ships such as corvettes, and when in large numbers in conjunction with artillery and larger capital ships these are feared installations and can lead to destruction of enemy forces.

### Defense Stations

This is a minor battle station, and is essentially a cheaper, immobile cruiser. They have powerful weapons, but don't do well against corvettes. It is best used in conjunction with artillery and shield boosters.

### Battle Stations

This is the most powerful defense out there, essentially an immobile battleship. Powerful weapons, shields, and hull make them useful against enemy capital ships, but can not deal with a swarm of boarding ships. Also, with enough corvettes one can destroy these easily, and if you are a strontech player volkers will make short work out of these. It is more advisable to invest in artillery and shield boosters.