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1.2 Cap Ship Ability Guide

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1.2 Cap Ship Ability Guide

Originally by Mongoose22

from Sins Forums

Capital ship ability guide 1.1

Originally gleaned from the 1.05 reference infoBy Mongoose22 Posted May 10, 2008

Edited and noted for 1.1 and 1.19/1.04E changes (in yellow).  Added descriptions, along with additional observations, and my personal ratings (5 stars is best, 2 is worst).  Ratings have been updated as well. 

Offensive abilities or damage noted in red.  Defensive abilities or damage reduction in green.   Finally,abilities that  either: interrupt or are interruptible are noted in purple.

Please reply/comment if you note errors, have a better description, insights, combos, or disagree with a rating.

TEC
____________________________________________________________________

Kol Battleship   ****

Gauss Rail Gun   ***
Gauss Rail Gun
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75
Cooldown time: 6
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure (All, but strikecraft)
Range:  5000     6000   (1.04E only buff)
Effect(s):
Damage: 300 / 550 / 800    325 / 650 / 975   (1.04E only buff) 
The target's maximum speed is also reduced by 50% for  10 seconds    (1.04E only added buff)
Fire Rail Gun at target (not strikecraft). Simply deals an instant 325 damage to the target at first level. (650 & 975 dmg at second and third levels).  Can be repeated, or fired again every 6 seconds (cooldown), but antimatter will likely be exhausted after 2 or 3 shots.  And damage must first pass thru shield mitigation reducing effective damage.  (Best used against structures, since they don’t have shield mitigation).

Flak Burst   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100 / 100 / 100
Cooldown time: 12 / 10 / 8
Affects: enemy strikecraft
Range: self
Area radius: 2400 / 3000 / 3600
Max targets: infinite
Effect(s):
Damage: 30 / 45 / 60 to each
Deals some significant instant damage (30/45/60) to all nearby hostile strikecraft squadrons, within the level’s range (2400/3000/3600). Again, a short cooldown (12/10/8), but relatively high antimatter cost (ea 100).

Adaptive Forcefield   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 40 / 50 / 60
Cooldown time: 45 / 40 / 35
Affects: self
Duration: 20 / 30 / 40
Effect(s):
Damage reduction: 15% / 25% / 35%
Shield bypass reduction: 25% / 45% / 60%
For 20/30/40 seconds, reduce: damage taken, and phase missile penetration done to this ship. Damage reduction of 15%/25%/35% of all types. Progressively increases its chance of blocking Vasari phase missiles. 
Notes: This is the only ability in the game that can reduce the effectiveness of Vasari phase missile shield bypass. The fully upgraded forcefield can be on at all times with no gaps as long as you have the antimatter.

Finest Hour (ultimate ability)   ****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: self
Duration: 60
Effect(s):
Autocannon splash radius: 1000
Autocannon splash damage: 60    (1.1 fix)
Antimatter regeneration rate: 5
Hull repair rate: 10
Ability cooldown reduction: 20%
“Last Stand”. Temp. increase own repair and antimatter regen rate. Also gains splash damage on attacks. Causes this ship to: regenerate 5 antimatter/s, 10 HP/s, decreases weapon cooldown by 20%, and grants 60 splash damage to autocannons for 60 seconds. Meaning restores: 300 AM total, and 600 Hull points, plus additional damage nearby.
Notes: Better used in the middle of a battle rather than to start to get the full regen benefits.


Sova Carrier   ****

Missile Batteries   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 125   70   (1.18/1.04E buff)
Cooldown time: 50     35   (1.18/1.04E buff)
Effect(s):
Creates Missile Battery (frigate)
Lifetime: 180
Hull points: 750 / 1000 / 1250
Hull repair rate: 1
Shields: 120 / 140 / 160
Shield regeneration: 1
Armor: 3.0 / 4.0 / 5.0
Armor class: light
Weapon: missile
Damage type: anti-medium
Range: 8500
DPS: 13.00 / 17.33 / 22.75
Can deploy multiple temp. missile turrets (or platform structures/frigates, long duration). 13.0/17.3/22.7 dps, 750/1000/1250 hull, 120/140/160 shield, 3/4/5 armor, depending on ability level, for 180 seconds (3 mins.).
Notes: The Missile Battery acts as a stationary, hardier Javelis frigate, with upgrades increasing both its damage and survivability. It's considered a frigate, so research upgrades will also improve it like any other ship. The battery's range is less than that of a real Javelis, so you'll want to drop it closer to the action.

Embargo   *****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 85   
Cooldown time: 120
Affects: enemy planet, enemy cargo ships
Area radius: planetary system
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 120  60/90/120   (1.1 Nerf)
Effect(s):
Planet production stolen: 40% / 70% / 100%
Planet ship/structure build time increase 30% / 60% 100%
Disable Phase Jump (cargo ships)    (1.18/1.04E fix)
“Steals income, blocks trade”. Steals 40%/70%/100% of enemy planet’s production. Disables own phase jump engines to temp. prevent trade ships from jumping out of current system and slows production in current system. Increases the build time of enemy ships and structures.
Notes: Embargo steals based on what the target planet is producing, so it works best for productive enemy planets and ones with heavy trade and/or refinery traffic, as it prevents the cargo ships from leaving the system.  But it also can be an effective strategy for rushing a young nearby enemy homeworld.

Heavy Strikecraft   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: own strikecraft
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Strikecraft damage increase: 10% / 20% / 30%   12% / 24% / 36%  (1.18/1.04E buff)
Strikecraft armor increase:    1.0 / 2.0 / 3.0         2.0 / 3.5 / 5.0        (1.18/1.04E buff)
(Passive buff) Increase armor and damage of this ship's strikecraft.  Increases the damage dealt by the Sova's squadrons (only) by 12/24/36%, and increases their armor by 2/3.5/5 (= +hull by 10/17.5/25%).
Notes: The buff applies for both fighters and bombers.  While it’s a meager boost, there is no antimatter cost.

Rapid Manufacturing (ultimate ability)   ***
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 120
Cooldown time: 120   180   (1.18/1.04E nerf)
Affects: self, friendly planet
Area radius: planetary system
Duration: 45   90   (1.18/1.04E buff)
Effect(s):
Instant strikecraft creation
Planet ship/structure build time reduction: 30%   300%   (1.18/1.04E buff)   
Temp. dramatic increased build speed in current system.  Instantly build replacement strikecraft for this ship. Decreases the build time of friendly ships and structures by 300%, in the system that the Sova is in, while activated.
Notes: Use to replace strikecraft quickly if destroyed or to scrap your current squads and change your fighter/bomber ratio during a battle. The planetary build bonus is nice but brief, best used when you have multiple ships and/or structures building at a planet at once.

Akkan Battlecruiser  ****

Colonize +   *****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90
Cooldown time: 120 / 90 / 60
Affects: colonizable planet, resource asteroids
Range: 5000
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Colonize planet, + increase resource extraction rate by 33/66/100% for 360 seconds  (1.18/1.04E buff)
Free resource extractors: 0 / 1 / 2     1 / 2 / 3    (1.18/1.04E buff & fix)
Colonize target planet, Free extractors automatically built at higher ability levels.
Notes: Extractors cost only $250, or $150 with tier 1 research, but the side effect of increased extraction rates (up to doubled) for 360 seconds (6 minutes) can be substantial.

Ion Bolt  ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 85
Cooldown time: 10 / 12 / 14
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure
Range: 7000
Duration: 3 / 5 / 7
Effect(s):
Interrupt
Disable abilities
Disable construction
Disable Phase Jump
Disable ship engines
Disable regeneration
Disable weapons
Temp. disable target hostile (short duration). Renders the target unable to move, attack, use abilities, regenerate passively, or construct (if the target is a building or construction frigate) for 3/5/7 secs.
Notes: While this completely disables an enemy target, it's very brief, so save it for important targets and to cancel impending Phase Jumps. Generally inferior to the Reverie ability from the Advent Rapture Battlecruiser, although unlike Reverie it won't fail early if you focus fire on the disabled target. Can interrupt other enemy ship abilities.


Targeting Uplink  **
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: friendly frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: self
Area radius: 8000
Duration: permanent (self), until out of range (others)
Effect(s):
Chance to hit increase: 5% / 10% / 15%
Weapon range increase: 6% / 12% / 20%
(Passive Aura) Increase nearby friendlies' weapon range and hit%. In certain situations, all nearby ships gain a small increase to accuracy, and small range increase.
Notes: Most targets have a base chance to hit of 100%, so the increased accuracy is only useful against: the Advent Rapture’s Vertigo ability, or within asteroid fields where hit chances are reduced.  Similarly, the weapon range increase is best used when you're not already engaged, so it most benefits the initial approach in battles and ships with long range.


Armistice (ultimate ability)   ***
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: all frigates, capital ships, strikecraft and structures
Area radius: 12000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 60 or until out of range
Pulse interval: 2
Effect(s):
Interrupt
Invulnerable
Disable abilities
Disable weapons
“Cease Fire”.  Temp. force all nearby ships and structures to stop fighting. The Akkan is rendered invulnerable, and the abilities and weapons of nearby enemy ships are disabled for 60 seconds, or until the Akkan leaves the system.
Notes: Pretty much a panic button so you can flee or prevent your fleet from getting wiped, as it prevents damage for everything around the Akkan. Could also be used to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.


Dunov Battlecruiser    ****

Shield Restore   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90   65    (1.1 Buff)
Cooldown time: 16   11    (1.1 Buff)
Affects: other friendly frigate, capital ship or structure with damaged shield
Range: 6000
Effect(s):
Shield restoration: 350 / 700 / 1050    250 / 500 / 750    (1.1 Nerf)
Instantly restore some shield points to other friendly target.
The target instantly regenerates 250/500/750 shield points.  Since it is a large amount restored, it is best microed on other friendly Cap ships.


EMP Charge   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100 / 90 / 80
Cooldown time: 50 / 45 / 40
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: 4500
Area radius: 2500 / 3000 / 3500
Max targets: infinite
Effect(s):
Damage: 150 / 300 / 450                   (1.18/1.04E Buff/Fix)  360 degree firing arch 
Antimatter removal: 50 / 100 / 150
“Destabilization Charge” or “EMP Blast”.  Targeted Area of effect.  Remove some (150/300/450) shield and some (50/100/150) antimatter from affected hostiles.  This side shooter no longer has to turn to fire this ability at target. 

Notes: Damages shields (then hull), and drains, ALL enemy ships and structures around the selected target, within an increasing range (in increasing amounts). Unlike the Detonate Antimatter ability from the Advent Radiance Battleship, the enemy targets do not need to have an antimatter pool, so the EMP will still damage them. Best used to both damage and drain the antimatter of support cruisers and capital ships.

Magnetize   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 80
Cooldown time: 15
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure, enemy strikecraft
Range: 5000
Area radius: 5000 / 6000 / 7000
Max targets: 1 (frigate, capital ship or structure), 8 / 12 / 16 (strikecraft)
Duration: 10 / 12.5 / 15, or 8 / 12 / 16 strikecraft killed
Effect(s):
Disable abilities

Interrupt                (1.18/1.04E added buff)
Strikecraft collision damage: 25
Disable enemy abilities; temp. cause target to attract strikecraft to collide with target. The target cannot use abilities, and any nearby strike craft will be magnetically attracted to the target and, time permitting, collide with it.
Notes: Use on an enemy ship or structure with nearby enemy strikecraft to disable the target and thin out the enemy fighters. Poetic justice when used against carriers, and interesting ability to see in action as the strikecraft get sucked onto the target.

Flux Field (ultimate ability)   *****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 125
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: friendly ships and structures with antimatter pool
Range: self
Area radius: 4000
Duration: 60 or until out of range
Pulse interval: 2
Effect(s):
Ability antimatter cost reduction (non-ultimate): 300% (can also be classified as offensive)
Temp. reduce antimatter cost of abilities for nearby friendlies.
Notes: Greatly cheapens the antimatter cost of using abilities, so use it before throwing out other abilities from nearby ships. Antimatter cost is reduced to 25%, or one-quarter of original cost. Great if used in combination with short cooldown type abilities.  But it doesn’t reduce level 6 (ultimate ability) antimatter cost.


Marza Dreadnought   *****

Radiation Bomb   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 85
Cooldown time: 12
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure (initial damage), enemy frigates, capital ships and structures (radiation)
Range: 6000
Area radius: 1200 (radiation)
Max targets: 1 (initial damage)
infinite (radiation)
Duration: 20
Pulse interval: 2.5 (radiation damage)
Effect(s):
Initial damage: 125 / 250 / 375
Radiation damage rate: 7 / 14 / 21
Radiation damage duration: 5
(Targeted Area of Effect). Deals damage with follow-up damage to all hostiles affected. Deals 125/250/375 instant damage to the target, and then 7/14/21 damage/s to the target and all nearby ships, for a short period.
Notes: It's difficult to figure out what this power does from the stats, so here's a walkthrough: Radiation Bomb does straight damage to a targeted enemy ship or structure. That target is then considered irradiated, and any enemy ships and structures within 1200 of the target take radiation damage until they either move out of range or the radiation on the target expires. As with other abilities with area effects, this is best used against tight clumps of enemies and also against stronger targets that survive long enough to fully spread the radiation damage.

Raze Planet    (1.1 Fix)   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90 / 80 / 70
Cooldown time: 40 / 45 / 50
Affects: enemy planet
Range: 5000
Effect(s):
Shots fired: 2 / 4 / 6
Damage per shot: 80
Population killed per shot: 10
Direct damage to target planet. Deals 80 damage to a planet, and kills 10 population per shot (2/4/6 shots per level).  So total planet damage is 160/320/480, and 20/40/60 population killed.
Notes: Fire off, damage planet. The in-game info doesn't really represent the effectiveness of this ability, as it doesn't mention that you get multiple damaging shots per use.

Incendiary Shells   ***

Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: own autocannon/missile attacks
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Incendiary damage rate: 3.0 / 4.5 / 6.0
Incendiary damage duration: 15
(Passive) Chance for this ship's autocannons and missiles to leave additional damage for 15 seconds. Effectively adds 3/4.5/6 damage to all of the Marza's weapons.

Notes: Since this ability doesn't stack, further hits on the same target with your weapons just reset the damage duration.

Missile Barrage (ultimate ability)   (1.1 fix)   *****'
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 240
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: self
Area radius: 10000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 25
Interruptible
Channeling
Effect(s):
Missile salvos: 20  25    (1.17 Nerf)
Salvo interval: 1.25
Damage per salvo: 150  120   (1.17 Nerf)
(Total Potential Damage: 120X25=3000! Each!)
Fire missiles at all hostiles in target area. Launches a huge flight of missiles to deal 120 damage, 25 times (or 3,000 damage before mitigation), to ALL enemies in the area.  A very destructive ability.
Notes: The important thing to note about this ability is that it's channeling, so it will stop if you give the Marza other commands while it's firing, and that it takes a long time to finish. Turn off auto-everything when using this lest your capital ship decide it's a good time to, say, auto-attack a scout in the middle of your barrage. Again, the in-game info doesn't really describe what this ability does. Namely, while it's firing, the Marza shoots missiles at every target within range, each of which does 120 damage. If uninterrupted, the Marza will shoot 25 multiple-target missile salvos over 30 seconds. Obviously, this is best used against clusters of enemy targets around the Marza. Given that the Marza can't really move while firing, an enemy can move their ships out of range (or just interrupt the ability), but enemy structures within range and ships that don't notice the copious number of explosives spewing out of the Marza are fair game.

Note: This ability is fixed in 1.1 and is much more potent.  Nerfed slighly in 1.17, and made more noticeable.



Advent

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Radiance Battleship   ****

Detonate Antimatter   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 60
Cooldown time: 20
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure with antimatter pool
Range: 4500
Duration: 12 / 15 / 18
Effect(s):
Interrupt
Disable abilities
Damage rate: 16.67 / 26.67 / 33.33
Antimatter drain rate: 10
Temp. disable target's (not strikecraft) abilities, drain antimatter, and damage target. Deals 200/400/600 damage over 12/15/18 seconds, also interrupting and rendering antimatter-based abilities useless.  Drains a total of 120/150/180 antimatter.
Notes: Damage bypasses shields.  Both damages and drains an enemy target over time, so this is best used against larger targets so the ability can run for the full duration, although pesky support ships are also a valid target. Also can interrupt other enemy ship abilities, quite a nice ability for a frontline capital ship.

Animosity   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 65
Cooldown time: 35
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: self
Area radius: 3000 / 4000 / 5000
Max targets: 6 / 12 / infinite   32   (1.1 Nerf)
Duration: 20
Effect(s):
Enemies forced to attack self
Force nearby hostiles to attack this ship. Enemy ships within radius shift their attacks to the Radiance (itself) for 20 seconds.
Notes: Occupy nearby enemy attention while the rest of your fleet hits them. Not the best power to use if your Radiance is heavily damaged (although at that point your enemy's probably focusing their attacks on you anyway). Make sure every enemy you want to affect is within range before using this, as it doesn't affect any enemies that wander within range after activation.

Energy Absorptive Armor   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: self
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Damage converted to antimatter: 5% / 10% / 15%
Armor increase: 1.0 / 2.0 / 3.0
(Passive) Gain Antimatter from damage received, increase Armor. Converts 5/10/15% of energy-based damage to antimatter, adds 1/2/3 armor.


Cleansing Brilliance (ultimate ability)  *****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 75  120    (1.1 Nerf)
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: 8000
Beam radius: 1000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 2 (charging), 8 (activated)
Interruptible
Channeling
Effect(s):
Damage rate: 250/s 

(Total Potential Damage: 250X8=2000! Each!)
Fire Beam Cannon at target (not strikecraft), also deals (1000? or 2000) damage to any hostiles in-between.

Notes: Unlike most abilities that affect multiple targets, Cleansing Brilliance is in the form of a beam that damages anything in its path from the capital ship to the target. Thus, you want to aim at a target in the back of a group to maximize the number of targets. This combos well with Malice from the Progenitor Mothership, which multiplies the area effect damage for all targets with Malice caught in the beam's blast, although with the shortening of Malice's duration in 1.05, you'll need to cast them at the same time to get the most effect. Cleansing Brilliance is a channeling ability, so don't twiddle with your ship after telling it to fire. The damage rate is 250 per second, after all, so you definitely don't want to break out of firing early.


 

Halycon Carrier   *****

Telekinetic Push   *****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90
Cooldown time: 10
Affects: enemy strikecraft
Range: self
Area radius: 4200
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 15
Effect(s):
Pushs strikecraft away from self
Damage: 20 / 30 / 40
Max speed reduction: 25% / 50% / 75%
Thrust reduction: 25% / 50% / 75%
Push away, slow, and damage nearby hostile strikecraft. Pushes away nearby enemy strike craft, dealing some (20/30/40) damage to them and reducing their speed and acceleration.
Notes: Outside of Anima Tempest, this is the only ability the Halycon has that actually uses antimatter.

Adept Drone Anima   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: own strikecraft
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Extra strikecraft per squadron:  squadron: 1 / 2 / 3   (1.04E only buff)
(Passive Aura) Increases the number of squads for this Carrier.  Each upgrade increases the number of Halcyon's squadrons by one.  So it is possible to have 4 squads at level 1, 6 at 3, 8 at 5, and so forth (9/6, 10/8, 11/10).

Amplify Energy Aura   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: friendly frigates, capital ships and structures with energy weapons
Range: self
Area radius: 8000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: permanent (self)
until out of range (others)
Pulse interval: 2.5
Effect(s):
Energy weapon cooldown reduction: 7.5% / 15.0% / 22.5%
(Passive Aura) Increase friendlies' energy weapon rate of fire.  Reduces the cooldown time of your fleets' energy weapons by 7.5/15/22.5%.  Altho a small cooldown reduction, it affects all in a relatively large area.
Notes: Every weapon in the Advent arsenal is an energy weapon, so this is effectively a blanket weapon cooldown for any ships near the Halycon.

Anima Tempest (ultimate ability)   ***
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 180
Effect(s):
Creates 30 strikecraft  60 strikecraft   (1.04E only buff)
Note: will divide strikecraft evenly between existing squads or create one squad of 30 bombers if no squads exist
Lifetime: 75 

All of its strickecraft gain a 25% increased chance to dodge for 75 seconds.   (1.04E only added buff)

Temp. release strikecraft swarm. Instantly spawns a group of 60 strikecraft lasting for 75 seconds.
Notes: As if you didn't have enough strikecraft in space... The 60 extra strikecraft are split amongst your existing squads, so the ratio of fighters to bombers you get is dependent on the ratio you are already fielding.


Progenitor Mothership   *****

Colonize   *****'
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90
Cooldown time: 120 / 90 / 60
Affects: colonizable planet
Range: 5000
Duration: permanent (colonize), 360/360/600   360/480/600 (planet upgrade cost reduction)   (1.18/1.04E buff)  
Effect(s):
Colonize planet
Planet upgrade cost reduction: 20% / 40% / 60%     15% / 30% / 45%   (1.18/1.04E nerf) 
Note: there's a short delay before the cost reduction kicks in! (Delay removed in Entrenchment).
Colonize target planet and temp. reduce planet development cost by 15%/30%/45% (kicks in after 30 seconds). This ability alone can give the Advent an economic advantage over other races.

Notes: The cost reduction is perhaps the best of the capital ship colonize abilities, and well worth waiting for, as there's a short delay after colonization before the reduction appears.

Malice   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 50
Cooldown time: 10
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: 8000
Area radius: 3000
Max targets: 8 / 16 / 24
Duration: 10
Stackable
Effect(s):
Damage propagation: 30%
Affects: other enemy frigates, capital ships, and structures affected by Malice
Area radius: 5000
Max targets: 8 / 16 / 24
“Spreads Weapon Damage”. (Targeted Area of Effect) For hostiles affected, all share % of damage taken. Deals 30% of the damage to 8/16/24 enemies within range when one is attacked.
Notes: This power has substantially changed as of 1.05. Malice now gives a straight 30% damage propagation to other targets, but the max targets are restricted. Furthermore, the damage isn't immediately applied. Rather, any damage taken by those affected by Malice is queued up, and after the buff elapses 10 seconds later, 30% of that damage is distributed to other Malice'd targets around each target. The antimatter cost and cooldown is now quite low, allow you to constantly throw Malice out with sufficient antimatter, but the target restrictions means Malice no longer can combo with Cleansing Brilliance to wipe out entire armies in one blast, although using both still works well to multiply area damage to a smaller set of targets.

Shield Regeneration    *****'
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100
Cooldown time: 20
Affects: friendly frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: self
Area radius: 3000 / 3500 / 4000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 8
Interruptible
Channeling
Effect(s):
Shield regeneration rate: 37.5 / 50.0 / 62.5
Temp. increase shield regen rate for nearby friendlies. The target regenerates 37.5/50/62.5 shields/s for 8 seconds.  Total potential shield regeneration is 300/400/500 for each ship!
Notes: Turn it on, and all friendlies around the Mothership start regenerating their shields. One of the few non-ultimate abilities that channels, so be aware that you shouldn't give the Mothership any other orders while this is on.

Resurrection (ultimate ability)   ***
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 100
Cooldown time: 120
Affects: other friendly capital ship
Range: 5000
Effect(s):
Transfer destroyed friendly capital ship level
Transfer dead Cap ship level to another ship. If you’ve lost a high-level capital ship, this will “resurrect” its level to new capital ship, boosting its level to that of the deceased.  Remembers the level from anywhere for a newly build ship.

Notes: As you might imagine, this is useless until you've had a capital ship go down.

 


Rapture Battlecruiser   ***

Vertigo   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75
Cooldown time: 20
Affects: enemy frigates and strikecraft
Range: 4500
Area radius: 2000 / 2500 / 3000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 25
Effect(s):
Weapon cooldown increase: 10% / 20% / 30%
Accuracy reduction: 10% / 20% / 30%
“Ship cripple”.  Temp increase target frigate's ability cooldown time and reduce target frigate's hit%. Increases the targeted enemy frigate or strike craft's weapon cooldown  by 10/20/30%, and also reduces that enemy’s accuracy by 10/20/30%.


Vengeance   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75  70    (1.1 Buff)
Cooldown time: 30 / 35 / 45
Affects: friendly frigate, capital ship or structure
Range: 6000
Duration: 20 / 30 / 40
Effect(s):
Damage retaliation: 40% / 80% / 120%  65% / 130% / 200%    (1.1 Buff)
Target friendly temp. re-deals damage to every ship that attacks it. When enemies attack the targeted ship or structure, the Rapture will deal a portion of that damage back to the target. 

Notes: Put this on a friendly taking fire and watch the attackers crumble. At the higher levels this actually reflects more damage back to the attacker than they dished out. Best used on something that can survive long enough for the duration to be effective, plus something that's of course being fired on in the first place (possibly use the Radiance’s Animosity to draw fire).

Concentration Aura  ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75     none/passive aura
Cooldown time: 30 / 35 / 45  none/passive aura
Affects: friendly frigates, capital ships and structures with strikecraft
Range: self
Area radius: 8000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: permanent (self), until out or range (others)
Pulse interval: 2.5
Effect(s):
Strikecraft damage increase: 10% / 20% / 30%
“Battle Mediation”.  (Passive Aura) Nearby friendlies do extra damage. Increases the damage of strike craft by 10/20/30% owned by nearby friendlies.

Notes: This doesn't actually affect strikecraft directly. Rather, the effect targets friendly carriers and hangars, which then pass on the damage bonus to their linked strikecraft. You could be huddled with a bunch of Aeria Drone Hosts in a corner and their strikecraft would still be doing more damage. As you might expect, this doesn't do much if you're not fielding any strikecraft, and the Rapture itself only fields a few.

Domination (ultimate ability)   ***
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 90  60   (1.1 Buff)
Affects: enemy frigate
Range: 6000
Duration: 10
Effect(s):
Gain control
Mind Control target frigate. Permanently converts the targeted frigate to your empire.

Notes: Best used on the nastiest enemy frigate you can find, with heavy cruisers making juicy targets. Also useful for taking over annoying support cruisers and turning their abilities against their owner.


Revelation Battlecruiser   ***

Reverie   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75 / 75 / 50
Cooldown time: 15
Affects: enemy frigate or capital ship
Range: 8000
Duration: 20 / 30 / 40, or 200 / 300 / 400 damage taken by target
Effect(s):
Interrupt
Disable abilities
Disable construction
Disable Phase Jump
Disable ship engines
Disable regeneration
Disable weapons
“Black Out”.  Disable target ship until time expires (20/30/40 seconds) or enough damage done to it. Completely disables the target. However, those affected may awaken if they take too much damage. 

Notes: While this can't target a structure like Ion Bolt from the TEC Akkan Battlecruiser can, in most respects this is a better ability, costing less antimatter and lasting longer, although the damage limit means the ability will quickly drop if you're trying to focus fire the target. Very effective if you use it more as a way to take a particular ship out of the battle for a long period of time while you clear out other enemies. Interrupts enemy (and friendly) abilities.

Guidance   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75
Cooldown time: 20
Affects: other friendly frigate or capital ship with antimatter pool
Range: 6000
Duration: 15 / 30 / 45
Effect(s):
Ability cooldown rate reduction: 40%   (1.04E only fix)
Reduce nearby friendlies' cooldowns. Reduces the target's ability cooldown by 40% for 15/30/45 seconds.  Or increases rate of fire by 1.67 times.  Cannot be self, must have antimatter.  Fixed to autocast when needed.


Clairvoyance   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 80 / 70 / 60    70 / 60 / 50   (1.18/1.04E buff)  
Cooldown time: 20 / 15 / 10    15 / 15 / 15   (1.18/1.04E buff)  
Affects: planet
Range: infinite
Duration: 50 / 100 / 150       90 / 120 / 150   (1.18/1.04E buff)  
Stackable
Effect(s):
Planetary remote sensor
“Far Sight”.  Temp. view target planet system, infinite range. View any planet of your choice.

Notes: Great scouting tool, as it has unlimited range (assuming you know a planet even exists). While the effect lasts (90/120/150 seconds), you'll have real-time knowledge about the target planet.

Provoke Hysteria (ultimate ability)   ****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: enemy planet
Range: 5000
Duration: 5 (charging), 40 (activated)
Interruptible
Channeling
Effect(s):
Damage rate: 1%/s
Population kill rate: 0.75%/s
“Planet Mania”.  Health and Population DoT against target planet.  If uninterrupted for the full 45 seconds, reduces planet health by 40% and population by 30%.  Takes 3 shots of -40% to kill any planet (7.25 minutes). 
Notes: Unlike the other planet-killer abilities, this one does damage based on a percentage of the planet's max, so it's more effective against fully developed, heavily populated planets compared to, say, asteroids.  Again, be careful not to interrupt this channeling ability.  Interesting special graphic & sound effects.




Vasari

___________________________________________________________________

Kortul Devastator   ****

Power Surge   *****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 60
Cooldown time: 30 / 35 / 40
Affects: self
Duration: 20 / 25 / 30
Effect(s):
Weapons cooldown reduction: 25% / 50% / 75%    
Shield regeneration rate: 0.75 / 1.50 / 2.25      25 / 35 / 45     (1.18/1.04E buff)  
Temp increases this ship's fire/shield regen rate. Reduces the Kortul's weapon cooldown by 25/50/75%, and its shields regenerate by 25/35/45 shield points per second, both for increasing durations (20/25/30).  Therefore total shield restored is 500/875/1350.  Effectively boosts weapon damage all of the time (to 125%/150%/175%), except for a 10 second remaining cool down at each level.

Jam Weapons   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75  70   (1.1 Buff)
Cooldown time: 15     40/35/30   (1.04E only nerf)
Affects: enemy strikecraft
Range: self
Area radius: 3500/4500/5500    3500/5000/7000  (1.1 Buff)    4500/5500/6500 (1.04E only buff) 
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 15 / 25 / 35    30  (1.1 Buff)     20  (1.04E only buff) on all that move into range  
Effect(s):
Disable weapons
Temp disable nearby hostile strikecrafts' weapons. All strike craft that move into an increasing range cannot fire their weapons for 20 seconds.
Notes: Only disables the strikecraft weapons rather than outright destroying them. On the other hand, the area is quite large, and the duration is decently long. 

Disruptive Strikes   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: own wave/beam attacks against enemies with antimatter pools
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Chance: 35%     25%  (1.18/10.4E Nerf)  
Antimatter removal: 8 / 12 / 16    10 /20 /30  (1.1 Buff)       12 /24 /36   (1.18/10.4E Buff)  
Ability cooldown increase: 10%/20%/30%     15%/30%/45% (1.1 Buff)    16.7%/33.3%/50% (1.18/10.4E Buff)  
Disruption duration: 10    15   (1.1 Buff)  
Interrupt     (1.18/10.4E Added Buff)
Passive buff: 25% chance to temp increase target's cooldowns and remove antimatter when this ship damages it. This ship's energy weapons can increase their target's ability cooldown by 16.7/33.3/50% and decrease the target's antimatter stores by 12/24/36.  Now also acts as an interrupt.
Notes: Nice permanent self-buff, that's free to use (no antimatter cost).

Volatile Nanites (ultimate ability)   ****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: 6000
Area radius: 2000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 60
Stackable
Effect(s):
Incoming damage increase: 30%
Damage to enemies on death: 150
Damage on death area radius: 1000
Temp increase damage nearby hostiles take and cause them to do damage to others on death. Targets suffer 30% more damage and deals 150 splash damage upon death.          
Notes: This ability has two effects: one, it increases damage done to affected targets; and two, any of those targets that blow up cause damage to nearby enemy ships and structures. While the damage increase is nice against anything, this is most effective against groups of lighter targets that you can quickly destroy, to take the greatest advantage of the death damage.


Skirantra Carrier   *****

Repair Cloud   *****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100 / 90 / 80
Cooldown time: 12
Affects: friendly frigates, capital ships, strikecraft and structures
Range: self
Area radius: 3000 / 3500 / 4000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 10
Effect(s):
Hull repair rate: 20 / 25 / 30
(“Nano Hull Repair”) Repair nearby friendlies' hull points over time. All nearby vessels heal at 20/25/30 hull/s for 10 seconds (200/250/300 total).
Notes: Repair Cloud is an instant-use ability, so all friendlies you want to repair will need to be in range the moment you use it.

Scramble Bombers   *****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100 / 75 / 50    80/65/50  (1.1 Buff)    50/40/30  (1.18/10.4E Buff)   50/50/50 (1.19 Buff)    
Cooldown time: 60 / 60 / 60    60/50/40   (1.1 Buff)    40/30/20  (1.18/10.4E Buff)   35/35/35 (1.19 Buff) 
Effect(s):
Creates bomber squadron    Now spawns 1/2/3 squad per use instead of just 1  (1.19 Buff)
Lifetime: 120
“Spawn Squad”.  Temp. deploy extra squadron of bombers for a short period of time.  Deploys an additional bomber squadron for 2 minutes, at level 1.  2 squads per activation at level 2, and 3 at 3.
Notes: As you might expect, extra bomber squadron appears when you use this. The bomber squadron is no different than any other. The benefit to increasing the level of this ability is the lower antimatter cost, and shorter cooldown time.  Meaning, antimatter permitting: up to 3.43 extra bomber squads at level 1 (120/35), then 6.85 squads (120/35 x 2), and as many as 10.29 extra squads, as early as level 5 (120/35 x 3).

Microphasing Aura   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: friendly strikecraft
Range: self
Area radius: 8000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: until out of range
Pulse interval: 4 / 4 / 3
Effect(s):
Chance: 20% / 30% / 30%
Teleportation range: 750
Invulnerable
Teleportation duration: 1
“Fighter Blink”.  (Passive Aura) Nearby friendly strikecraft have chance of teleporting out of attacks, or teleporting into better attack position. Renders nearby strike craft invulnerable during teleportation.
Notes: A rather bizarre ability, this permanent aura gives any friendly strikecraft within range a small chance to teleport 750 towards their target. During the second-long teleport, the strikecraft is immune to damage. This is the only ability where upgrading affects the pulse interval; normally, you only get a chance to teleport every 4 seconds, but when fully upgraded, you get a check every 3 seconds.

Replicate Forces (ultimate ability)   ***
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 125
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: own frigate
Range: 6000
Effect(s):
Creates three copies of frigate
Lifetime: 150
“Clone Frigates”.  Produce 3 copies of target owned frigate. Instantly produces 3 fully functional copies of the targeted allied frigate, which remain for 150 seconds (2.5 minutes).
Notes: This ability is only as good as your surrounding fleet. Much better to copy a heavy cruiser rather than a scout, right?  Also flexible enough to copy support cruisers for instant-use abilities, although the clones only come with half of their antimatter pool to start. The Bombardment Platform is also a valid target if you need to speed up your planet bombing and your Skirantra is hanging around a Vulkoras Devastator.  Siege frigates will do in a pinch.


Jarrasul Evacuator   *****

Colonize   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90
Cooldown time: 120 / 90 / 60
Affects: colonizable planet
Range: 5000
Duration: permanent (colonize planet), 240 / 480 / 720 (structure build time reduction)
Effect(s):
Colonize planet
Structure build time reduction: 20%
Colonize target planet, and temp. reduce Structure build time by 20%, with longer duration at higher ability levels (kicks in after 30 seconds).
Notes: The small (-20%) buid time reduction is of dubious value.  The duration goes from 4 minutes to 12 minutes with a full upgrade.  Remember, you need to wait a bit before the bonus kicks in after colonization.

Gravity Warhead   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100
Cooldown time: 25
Affects: enemy frigates and capital ships
Range: 6000
Area radius: 3000 / 3500 / 4000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 12 / 15 / 18
Effect(s):
Max speed reduction: 30% / 45% / 60%
Thrust reduction: 60% / 80% / 120%
Disable Phase Jump
Temp. slow target ship and prevent it from phase jumping. Has an AOE, and “gravity” affects all those around it.  The target ship suffers a 30% speed penalty and a 60% acceleration penalty, and in addition, the target's phase jump drive is disabled for 12/15/18 seconds.
Notes: Mainly useful to prevent enemies from fleeing a system so you can finish mopping them up.

Nano-Disassembler   *****'
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 75
Cooldown time: 12
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure
Range: 6000
Duration:   20 / 30 / 40       25 / 35 / 45   (1.18/1.04E buff)
Effect(s):
Damage rate: 30   25   (1.18/1.04E nerf)
Armor reduction: 2.0 / 4.0 / 6.0     1.5 / 3.0 / 4.5     (1.18/1.04E nerf)     
(Total Potential Damage: 30X(20/30/40)=600/900/1200   25X(25/35/45)= 625/875/1125   bypasses Shields!)
Temp. reduce target's armor, inflict direct damage on hull. The target ship's armor is decreased by 1.5/3/4.5, and takes 25 ‘pure’ damage/s for either 25/35/45 seconds.
Notes: Best used against a hard-to-crack target that you can then focus fire. While the damage rate stays the same, the higher armor reduction and  longer duration at higher levels makes the overall damage higher.  Damage is applied directly to hull, without being reduced by shields or shield mitigation, making it more effective.

Drain Planet (ultimate ability)   *****'
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 180
Affects: enemy planet
Range: 6600
Duration: 5 (charging), 30 (activated)
Interruptible
Channeling
Effect(s):
Damage rate: 45
Population kill rate: 2
Resource rate: 15
“Resource Drain” Deal damage and steal resources from target planet. The target planet takes 45 damage/s, and the Evacuator siphons 15 resources/s from it for 30 seconds.  Meaning a total of: 1,350 planet damage, 60 population killed and 450 of both metal & crystal stolen from the planet, if uninterrupted.
Notes: As with other channeling abilities, ordering your capital ship to do something else breaks this ability's use. The resource theft rate is for both metal and crystal and is a flat rate, rather than depending on how productive the target enemy planet is.


Antorak Marauder   ***

Phase Out Hull   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 60 / 50 / 40
Cooldown time: 5 / 3 / 2
Affects: friendly or enemy frigate, capital ship or structure
Range: 7000
Duration: 6 / 8 / 10
Effect(s):
Damage: 200 or Shield restored: 200   (1.04E only added buff)
Interrupt
Invulnerable
Disable abilities
Disable construction
Disable Phase Jump
Disable ship engines
Disable regeneration
Disable weapons
Phase out (cannot be targeted)
Temp. phase out target friendly or enemy, prevent it from moving, attacking, or taking damage. The targeted enemy is rendered invulnerable, but is completely disabled. Enemies now take 200 damage upon return from phase space, in Entrenchment only.  Freindly targets gain 200 shield points upon return (1.04E only). 
Notes: This acts differently than Ion Bolt and Reverie because the target is essentially removed from the battle temporarily rather than crippled and vulnerable. With the short cooldown, you can use this to keep multiple enemy ships on the sidelines or to delay the destruction of some of your own ships. Be careful about putting this on auto as you can quickly drain your antimatter due to short cooldown. 

Distort Gravity   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 65
Cooldown time: 45
Affects: friendly frigates and capital ships
Range: self
Area radius: 5000
Max targets: infinite
Duration: 30
Effect(s):
Phase Jump Inhibitor immunity 
Increased turn rate: 25% / 50% / 75%    (1.18/1.04E added buff)
Max speed increase: 33% / 66% / 100%
Thrust increase: 50% / 75% / 100%
Gravity well range to Phase Jump reduction: 8% / 16% / 24%
“Speed Burst”.   Nearby friendlies: temp. immune to phase inhibitors, increased: turn rate, speed, and acceleration. All nearby ships gain a speed and acceleration bonus, a reduction to the radius at which phase jumps are possible, and are rendered immune to the effects of phase jump inhibitors.
Notes: Great for chasing down fleeing enemies, closing on soft targets in the rear of a formation.  Or conversely making your own getaway. Or simply making your own travel go faster (for 30 seconds).

Subversion   ***
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100 / 90 / 80   100 / 100 / 100  (1.1 Nerf)
Cooldown time: 50 / 45 / 40   75 / 75 / 75         (1.1 Nerf)
Affects: enemy planet
Range: 5000
Duration: 300 / 450 / 600
Stackable
Effect(s):
Structure build time increase: 15% / 30% / 45%    50%/100%/150%  (1.1 Buff)
Ship build time increase: 15% / 30% / 45%         50%/100%/150%    (1.1 Buff)
Planetary remote sensor
Temp. increase ship/structure build time of target planet. The target planet suffers a substantial penalty to ship and structure build time, taking 1.5/2/2.5 times as long to build ships & structures.
Notes: The penalties are no longer modest, the duration is quite long, and the sensor allows you to spy in on the enemy the entire time. You can also stack multiple instances on the same planet to increase the penalties.  It has been suggested as a potential rushing strategy.

Stabilize Phase Space (ultimate ability)   ****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 100
Cooldown time: 120
Affects: self
Range: 6600
Duration: 75
Interruptible
Channeling   (1.17 Buff) no longer Channeling (Entrenchment)
Effect(s):
Creates a Phase Stabilizer
The Marauder creates a (unseen) phase gate for 75 seconds.  Allows jumps to another distant phase stabilizer.
Notes: Powerful, but you need to be prepared: you need to have Phase Stabilizers built and a fleet ready to send over if you're bringing in reinforcements. Also useful as a way to quickly send a defense force back to any of your planets with a Phase Stabilizer.


Vulkoras Desolator   ****

Phase Missile Swarm   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 90
Cooldown time: 15
Affects: enemy frigates, capital ships and structures
Range: self
Area radius: 5000
Max targets: 3 / 5 / 7
Effect(s):
Damage: 200 / 400 / 600
Fire Missiles at nearby hostiles, except strikecraft. Generates a sizable volley of missiles, dealing 200/400/600 damage to 3/5/7 nearby enemies.  Maximum total potential damage is 7X600= 4200, but is reduced by shield mitigation, and spread across many targets.  Short cooldown.
Notes: Doesn’t actually shoot phase missile, so damage dealt isn’t improved by researching phase missile shield bypass technology. Remember, don't waste it by being impatient and firing before you get multiple nearby enemies in range (a relatively small 5000 range).

Deploy Siege Platform    (1.1 fix)   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Antimatter cost: 100  35  (1.18/1.04E buff)
Cooldown time: 55  20   (1.18/1.04E buff)  
Affects: enemy planet
Range: 2600
Effect(s):
Creates Bombardment Platform (frigate)
Lifetime: 180   65   (1.18/1.04E nerf) 
Hull points: 735
Hull repair rate: 1
Armor: 2.0
Armor class: light
Range: 3000
Bombardment damage: 20 / 26 / 32
Population killed: 1.1 / 2.2 / 3.3
Build siege turret near target hostile planet with 735 hull, 2 armor, 20/26/32 bombing damage, depending on ability level for ~1 minutes.  Total potential planet damage is quite high, and multiple siege platforms can be deployed.
Notes: The platform itself is a siege-frigate-on-a-stick, although it has no shields, making it more fragile than a real Karrastra Destructor despite its higher hull points.  No longer need to deploy extremely close to the planet keep the platform within its range (fixed). 

Assault Specialization   (1.1 fix)   ****
Level available: 1 / 3 / 5
Affects: own phase missile weapons/bombardment
Duration: permanent
Effect(s):
Phase missile damage to enemy structures: 8.6 / 17.2 / 25.8
Bombing cooldown reduction: 25% / 50% / 100%
“Bonus Module Damage”.  (Passive buff) This ship does extra damage against structures and planets. Its bombing damage gains a shorter cooldown. Its phase missiles will deal additional damage to structures.  The in-game description says it adds 60/120/180 damage (over 7 seconds, at the abover rates).
Notes: The bonus damage to structures is in addition to the damage the missiles themselves will do.

Disintegration (ultimate ability)   ****
Level available: 6
Antimatter cost: 150
Cooldown time: 120   90   (1.1 buff)
Affects: enemy frigate, capital ship or structure (damage), self (hull repair)
Range: 6000
Duration: 2 (charging), 8 (activated)
Interruptible
Channeling
Effect(s):
Damage rate: 200  150 (direct to hull only)  (1.18/1.04E buff)
Damage rate:   150 (direct to shield only)     (1.18/1.04E added buff)
Depletss Antimatter:   20 per second from the target  (1.18/1.04E added buff)
Nanite hull repair pulses: 6     8       (1.18/1.04E added buff ) see explanation 
Repair pulse interval: 1.5
Hull repair per second: 187.5   120  (1.18/1.04E  nerf) 
Shield restore per second:    120      (1.18/1.04E  added buff)
Antimatter restore per second:    15  (1.18/1.04E  added buff)  
Leech hull points from target hostile. The target takes 300 damage & looses 20 antimatter per pulse, and heals the Vulkoras of 240 damage and restores 15 antimatter per pulse.
Notes: 8 pulses means: 2400 damage and 1920 points of repair, as well as: -160 & +120 antimatter, if Disintegration is uninterrupted.  You need high health (900+ hull) targets to gain the full healing effect, and you may want to wait to use untill the Vulkoras has suffered damage to benefit from full healing effect as well.  Damage is direct to hull, bypassing shields, but is reduced by armor.  Typical observed damage is around 900 hull damage, with a similar amount against shield.  Again, “channeling” means that if you issue new orders, or it automatically starts a new order, the ability will be interrupted, and won’t complete its full effect.


' denotes exceptional (6 star?) abilities


Note, the Cap ships are ordered by Race as:
1. Battleships
2. Carriers
3. Colony Ships
4. Support Ships
5. Planet Killers

 

April, 2011;  I tried to edit the above for 1.2 changes but had so many problems that I gave up.  The following is a list of the 1.2 changes to Cap ships.  I tested each, and found that none were significant changes, except for the Skirantra Scramble Bombers nerf.

      • Kol:
        • Gauss Blast: Reduced AM cost from 75 to 50/55/60; increased damage from 325/650/975 to 400/725/1050.
        • Flak Burst: Range changed from 2400/3000/3600 to 3000/3300/3600.
        • Finest Hour: AM regen reduced from 5 to 3; HP regen increased from 10 to 15.
      • Dunov:
        • EMP: Range increased from 4500 to 4500/5000/5500; AM cost changed from 100/90/80 to 90/90/90; cooldown reduced from 50/45/40 to 40/35/30.
        • Magnetize: Max affected strikecraft increased from 8/12/16 to 12/20/28.
        • Strikecraft destroyed by the Dunov's Magnetize ability now give XP as intended.
      • Marza:
        • Incendiary Shells: Stacking limit increased from 1 to 3.
        • Missile Barrage: Range reduced from 10,000 to 8,000.
    • Advent Balance
      • Radiance:
        • Animosity: Increased max targets from 8/16/32 to 12/24/36; effect now channels every second over 20 seconds instead of being an instant action so new targets entering the AoE are hit; auto-cast will only activate if 3 or more enemy ships are in range.
        • Absorptive Armor: Increased armor bonus from 1/2/3 to 2/4/6.
      • Rapture:
        • Vertigo: Increased range from 4500 to 4500/5000/5500.
      • Revelation:
        • Guidance: Now a triggered, caster-based area of effect that affects friendly capital ships, frigates and structures. AM cost is now 90/100/110; range is 8000/8000/8000, cooldown is 50/50/50; buff applied grants 25%/25%/25% boost to ability cooldown rate, duration 20/30/40.
        • Clairvoyance: Duration increased from 90/120/150 to 90/150/210.
    • Vasari Balance
      • Jarrasul:
        • Colonize: Now grants additional constructor frigates instead of a structure build rate bonus. Gives 1/2/3 constructor frigates for 360/480/600 seconds.
        • Jarrasul capital ship's colonize ability adjusted to avoid crash issue. Thanks to ZombieRus5 on this.
      • Skirantra:
        • Scramble Bombers: Reduced expiry time from 120 to 75; reduced cooldown time from 35 to 30.
      • Antorak:
        • Distort Gravity: Reduced cooldown from 45 to 40.
      • Vulkoras:
        • Phase Missile Swarm: Increased range from 5000 to 6500; increased max targets from 3/5/7 to 4/8/12.
        • Assault Specialization: Increased bonus damage from 60/120/180 to 90/180/270.

 

strategy faq support
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Reply #76 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Agent, reply 70

I tend to agree with others, that the current Scramble bombers is OverPowered and is being abused, and it needs a nerf. But I don't know in what form or by how much.


I propose we start by creating a chart of the pros and cons of the "additional strikecraft abilities" on the carriers.

Please feel free to modify, add to this, change it, etc.

                                                                  MAX SC AT LVL
ABILITY PASSIVE/ACTIVE    FIGHTERS BOMBERS    PLASMA_DEPLOYMENT   1  3  5   6   8 10
ADA     P                 X        X                              4  6  8   12 13 14
HS      P                 X        X                              3  4  5   6   7  8
SB      A                          X          X                   6 11 15   16 17 18

To truly know the power of each carrier for balance purposes, we would have to create a chart characterizing everything (abilities, hit points, attack, special abilities) etc.  But this is a small start at least.

By the way, since Vasari, Advent, and TEC strikecraft all differ, I think we should normalize all of them around a "theoretical strikecraft" so that we can compare apples to apples.  For instance, clearly a Vasari strikecraft is not to be compared to an Advent one.  Perhaps we could use TEC strikecraft as the "strikecraft unit," i.e (just pulling numbers out of my ass for illustrative purposes) 1 TEC SC = .75 Vasari SC = 1.25 Advent SC.

Agent, for some reason, I cant read the above table in your post, unless I quote it, or print it.  Then it is legible. 

I find it very difficult to quantify the effects of both HS (Heavy Strikecraft) and Microphasing Aura, and basically don't know how or if it is possible? 

Yes the squads do have differing numbers of strikecraft, with different characteristics (hull, armor & DPS).  Perhaps "we should normalize" them so that each 'squad' is comparable.  Someone needs to look up and summarize these differences. 

But I will say that when 1.1 came out with all the changes to strikecraft, I tested equivalent amounts of squads (in supply and cost) between each of the races, and they were very well balanced between races on a supply or cost basis.  Basically an equivalent supply (and/or cost) of one race's carriers, will kill the other's carriers, and it's last few surviving strikecraft would finish off the other.  So that both race's Carriers would all be dead.

  EDIT:  I looked up and summarized the differences between squads, and they are as follows:

           Sqd Eff. Hull      Sqd DPS combined totl
     No./squad  Sqd Eff. Hull    Sqd DPS      % of TEC      % of TEC      % of TEC
               
  Advent 9 378.00 12.00 100% 123% 123%
    Fighters: TEC 6 378.00 9.75 100% 100% 100%
  Vasari 4 391.00 10.25 103% 105% 109%
               
  Advent 7 551.25 17.84 100% 108% 109%
   Bombers: TEC 5 550.00 16.44 100% 100% 100%
  Vasari 3 525.00 17.09 95% 104% 99%

As you can see, the squads are all roughly quite comparable!  Except for possibly the Advent fighter squads, which has 23% more damage per second, without any sacrifice in hull & armor.

Reply #77 from Sins Forums Top

And you also have been obviously wrong in some case, as have I.  In particular regarding Scramble Bombers

In all fairness, that was 1.18 scramble that I was talking about, which was nothing special and certainly nothing compared to what level 2 and level 3 scramble are doing today.  I still think the 1.18 version was three stars and no more, but that's a far cry from the harsh criticism I heaped on it back then. I certainly recant "weakest ability in the game", a title better fitting of animosity or guidance.


I blame part of the current patch's problem with Scramble Bombers upon you.

I can't disagree with you; I was the most vocal critic of scramble bombers, and the developers listened.  I still believe it needed work, but unfortunately the ability we ended up with went too far.

Of course, no one seriously challenged my position in any of the discussions, so I got away with it.

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #78 from Sins Forums Top

In all fairness, that was 1.18 scramble that I was talking about, which was nothing special and certainly nothing compared to what level 2 and level 3 scramble are doing today. I still think the 1.18 version was three stars and no more

Naw, it was "clearly" at least 4 stars, or better.  If one did rough potential damage calculations, it showed the potential to be one of the highest damage dealing abilities of all.  My testing also showed that in most situations the 1.18 Skirantra with Scrambled Bombers was the most powerfull of all lower level Cap ships.  Yes, the ability could be easily countered if fighters were present.  But there had to be enough fighters, and often there are none present.  Therefore, the ability was much, much less situational than say your 3 star Targeting Uplink.

Reply #79 from Sins Forums Top

This takes so long, even more kudos to Sage for the original.  If only flak would defend capitals from strikecraft, rather than LRF, then the abilities would matter more than the bomber fleets on carrier capitals...

Kol Battleship- ship has no passive, abilities are AM expensive

  • Gauss Rail Gun ** needs a large AM reduction, a huge range increase would add character.  The Kol is a battleship, the ability is poor compared to Radiation Bomb and Phase Missile Swarm
  • Flak Burst *** you have to save the AM though, would be improved if its AM costs declined, as it is really dependent on several uses to have its effect.  Against carrier capitals, destroying strikecraft isn't as effective as you might expect, compared to jamming their weapons.  Against mass bomber attacks jam weapons is again better- unless you have more than one Kol.
  • Adaptive Forcefield *** again the AM cost is the problem, why no repair?  **** against Vasari though
  • Finest Hour *** Compare this to the buffed Power Surge, a proper battleship ability, and the repair rate is poor.  The autocannon splash damage is excellent, but won't keep the ship alive.  The notes should emphasise the damage, as thats what the ability is useful for.

Sova Carrier- a TEC ship with both a passive, and more reasonable AM costs

  • Missile Batteries **** Good early game ability, no coincidence that it became useful because the AM rate was reduced from 120 to 75, can't some non-carrier ships be made similarly useful?
  • Embargo ***** Excellent, compare to Subversion.  Embargo is on a better ship....
  • Heavy Strikecraft *** top level seems to add the attack of nearly three extra squads, it might be about 2/3 as good as ADA?
  • Rapid Manufacturing ****  invulnerable strikecraft has to be good?

Akkan Battlecruiser- also has a passive, but basically a good specialist

  • Colonize ***** L1 excellent, but bear in mind that it gets less and less useful
  • Ion Bolt **** capital ship killer.. only with a supporting fleet
  • Targeting Uplink ** passive, does have its uses, but is situational, so why not a bigger chance to hit increase... 5% situational increase is not much
  • Armistice *** also situational

Dunov Battlecruiser- another TEC capital with no passive, and the abilities have problems, it isn't a fleet repair or movement ship, combat specific abilities without the ability to stay in combat.

  • Shield Restore *** no better than 3 stars as ship can't heal itself, even if the AM cost was reduced
  • EMP Charge **** far better than Gauss Rail Gun, the problems with this are the AM cost, the awful range, and the ship itself
  • Magnetize *** difficult to use to its best effect
  • Flux Field *** good, but only ***** if you have enough capitals, even then it only combines well with the Kol, and 1 Dunov 2 Kols is an unsusual TEC choice.  Abilities dependent on other capital ship abilities are never great.

Marza Dreadnought- Missile barrage platforms, other abilities are overrated.  Sova became more popular very quickly.

  • Radiation Bomb *** Just not all that its reputed to be, 35 extra radiation damage at L1 isn't much at all
  • Raze Planet *** not great either, at L1 160 damage to a planet for 90AM, perhaps could be buffed after the Vulkoras got a buff
  • Incendiary shells * rubbish
  • Missile Barrage ***** ability still needs to be reworked, huge area and infinite targets

Radiance Battleship- To be effective battleships need self-healing and anti-strikecraft abilities.  This ship depends too much on one-on-one fights, unless early on very small maps, that won't happen.

  • Detonate Antimatter **** cheap on the AM, L1 excellent, doesn't scale well- AM drain 120/150/180
  • Animosity * Valueless, and there are three levels of it
  • Energy Absorptive Armour **** better if the ship could heal its hull
  • Cleansing Brilliance **** good damage, but targets have to be packed close together

Halcyon Carrier- There was no reason for the ADA buff, like Scramble Bombers.  The Halcyon is never short on AM either.  Too many Advent abilities are on the carrier and colony capitals, there's been much talk about supposed Advent synergies, but this is difficult to justify, perhaps its just the carrier and colony having the fleet abilities?

  • Telekinetic Push ***** Quick cooldown makes it so effective combined with push
  • Adept Drone Anima **** passive squadrons, not sure why a buff was needed, could revert this too
  • Amplify Energy Aura **** an area passive, good range, incredibly even the base buff is better than the situational Targeting Uplink
  • Anima Tempest **** the effect of this was more than doubled.. but it only lasts 75s compared to Scramble 120s, and this makes it inferior to Scramble L3.. an ultimate should not be inferior to a L3 ability, especially an ultimate that has been doubled from its previous effect.  Stop buffing the carrier capitals.

Progenitor Mothership- play Advent to better appreciate the limitations of this ship, it slows fleets compared to the Skirantra

  • Colonize ***** good, but restricted to early game
  • Malice **** good.. the AM cost is more like it, but the ability is more appropriate to a battleship?
  • Shield Regeneration ***** best area regeneration, at a phenomenal rate, expensive though
  • Resurrection ** on a small map **** in longer games

Rapture Battlecruiser- all the support capitals just get picked on as soon as they appear.. the abilities are just not good enough given that you need one or more other capitals.  The Rapture, like the Dunov and Marauder, is a priority target without much ability to defend itself.

  • Vertigo *** -25% at first level despite limited range, but against massed LRF this just won't keep it alive
  • Vengeance *** limited by mitigation effect, this is just not a five star ability at L1, though it scales well
  • Concentration Aura *** this is overrated even as a passive, you have to be in range of your attacking strikecraft
  • Domination **** useful, excellent cooldown, affected by the ship's overall contribution

Revelation Battlecruiser- terrible ship, cannot siege roids effectively, some anti-capital ability when combined with a fleet

  • Reverie **** Excellent cost, range, duration, scales well
  • Guidance * Poor, you could try transfer AM with it but good luck with the micro! 
  • Clairvoyance ** Duplicates the abilities of scouts
  • Provoke Hysteria ** a situational siege as an ultimate?

Kortul Devastator- low AM costs, multipurpose abilities to make the ship self-contained anti-strikecraft, interrupt with drain, self-repair, weapons boosts, area damage... compare it to the Kol and Radiance.  What really made this ship useful was the change from 0.75 to 25 shield regeneration... a hint?

  • Power Surge ***** this is how battleships should be, with combined health and weapons buffs for low AM cost
  • Jam Weapons **** strikecraft that do nothing are not a threat, low AM cost, good range
  • Disruptive Strikes **** excellent multipurpose interrupt ability, and passive
  • Volatile Nanites *** not great, but still good.. damage on death isn't that large an enemies can easily scatter, marginal whether you'd use this unless you'd already won, could use a buff

Skirantra Carrier- the Illuminantra, unbalanced by Scramble Bombers

  • Repair Cloud **** Its an area repair, though it doesn't scale well, maybe 20/30/40 rate would be better
  • Scramble Bombers ***** buffed four times... please revert, 3 bomber squadrons for 50AM is not amusing
  • Microphasing Aura ** +5% att/def at L1 within range? not great at all if this is accurate
  • Replicate Forces **** so versatile, combos with siege well, better than Anima Tempest for extra squads- never used, in favour of Spamble Bombers

Jarrasul Evacuator- Death Egg.. best anti-capital ability, best siege, area disable phase jump

  • Colonize ** If this gets boosted then the structure build buff should just be increased.. huge duration already, though morebuff might be an improvement on even more duration at higher levels
  • Gravity Warhead **** better than Ion Bolt as typically used, though the AM cost is very high
  • Nano-Disassembler ***** Gauss Rail Gun costs as much AM as this???
  • Drain Planet ***** this is more like an ultimate ability! 

Antorak Marauder- better than it was, if only it could steal resources or do financial damage at all...

  • Phase Out Hull **** cheap, multipurpose, doesn't scale- 200 damage/repair at L1, and 200 damage/repair at L3, so the rating is really for L1
  • Distort Gravity ***** cheap, good fleet ability.. phase jump inhibitor immunity.. has advantages over an ultimate, Armistice
  • Subversion * compare this to Embargo, you could possibly raid planets with many factories, but that means 100 AM cost and two jumps... the stackability must be slightly moot.  If the enemy realises that you have a high level Marauder, its easily countered.  Marauders do not gain levels easily, either.
  • Stabilize Phase Space *** too expensive to set up to be more valuable, **** later

Vulkoras Destroyer- this is what I call a siege capital.. since the AM cost buff, anyway. 

  • Phase Missile Swarm *** This scales weirdly.. L1 600 L2 2000 L3 4200- the first level is definitely poor though
  • Deploy Siege Platform ***** The notes on this are confusing, it might be better to state how much damage each platform can do, or at least to include the rate of fire... another ability where the AM cost reduction has made it valuable. 
  • Assault Specialization *** really this is two abilities doing the work of one, anti-structure bonus is mostly irrelevant.  Very effective siege though.
  • Disintegration **** good, but its single target

This is so difficult to write up, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a few holes in it!

Reply #80 from Sins Forums Top

If one did rough potential damage calculations, it showed the potential to be one of the highest damage dealing abilities of all.

In theory, yes.  In practice, they came out slowly enough that you could blast them with fighters before they built up.  Today, the reverse is true, they deploy quickly enough that fighters of reasonable proportions can't whittle them down so they reach those wicked masses.

I think that's part of the problem with the very concept of scramble bombers.  If the deployment rate is slightly faster than the expected kill rate of fighters, it builds up and eventually reaches absurd levels.  If the deployment rate is slightly slower than the kill rate, then the numbers never really build up at all.


ut there had to be enough fighters, and often there are none present.

Give me a break; everyone leads with carrier capital ships these days (though I will agree that in itself is a problem...) and not having any fighters is entirely a choice.  Re-speccing a carrier cap from all bombers to all fighters takes less than a minute, which in this game is practically instant.

So if you don't have any fighters, it's your own fault.  Scout the enemy, know what you need, and pick the right proportions of strike craft.  You don't get to complain if you never scouted, especially when swapping to the correct unit types is free.


so why not a bigger chance to hit increase... 5% situational increase is not much

Vertigo reduces accuracy by 10%, so if uplink were any higher this ability would passively negate an ability that costs antimatter.  In fact, it already DOES negate level 1 Vertigo if you have two ranks in it.  

The problem is mostly that there are very few accuracy reducing effects in this game, so accuracy almost never goes below 80%... so even a small increase to accuracy can completely negate all accuracy penalties in play.

And then there's the range increase bonus.  It's not always useful (though in a straight battle of attrition I'd keep the Akkan out of the fray for safety reasons anyways) but when it comes down to an entrenched siege, this ability is among the most powerful in the game.  Every scrap of range you can get your hands on is absolutely critical in entrenched battles, whether you're attacking or defending.  


Adept Drone Anima **** passive squadrons, not sure why a buff was needed, could revert this too

I did an analysis of the old ADA some time ago and concluded that it had several flaws.  Making it increase the number of squadrons was actually my suggestion at the time, and I'm flattered it made it into 1.18.  Both then and now, my suggestion was controversial because the Halcyon was already a very strong capital ship even with a gimped ADA.  However, my underlying point was that no one even touched this ability until level 8.

What we have today is a very versatile capital ship where players will select a combination of all three abilities.  This makes it one of the most varied and interesting capital ships in the game.  Aside from maybe needing a minor nerf to TK-push, the Halcyon is IMO the paragon of balance as far as capital ships go, and I'd like to see every other capital ship in the game buffed up to its level of power and versatility.

I view reverting ADA as throwing out the baby with the bathwater.  ADA will become gimped again and no one will touch it.  Perhaps it will balance the Halcyon, but I strongly feel it will take away from the game as a whole.


Vertigo *** -25% at first level despite limited range, but against massed LRF this just won't keep it alive

It's not about keeping the Rapture alive, it's about keeping everything else alive.  Especially when comboed with a Progenitor with shield restore and guardians, this can allow you to tank through some amazing damage.  Sure, they may kill the Rapture if they focus fire it, but who cares about losing a level 1 or 2 capital ship when the rest of your fleet is mauling their's.

Concentration Aura *** this is overrated even as a passive, you have to be in range of your attacking strikecraft

Actually no, you have to be in range of the carriers that support them.  That has its own upsides and downsides, but at very least you don't have to keep the Rapture in the fray.


Jarrasul Evacuator... Colonize **

Okay, it's not an Akkan or Progenitor, but it's still a capital ship with a colonize ability, and that goes pretty far.  Yes, I'd like to see it buffed up to everyone else's level too, but it's still worthy of three stars IMO.


Phase Missile Swarm *** This scales weirdly.. L1 600 L2 2000 L3 4200- the first level is definitely poor though

Even worse, those damages are affected by mitigation, so cut them in half... for 90 antimatter and 20 seconds cooldown, this ability isn't worth your time.


This is so difficult to write up, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a few holes in it!

Agreed, that's why I believe we need to discuss this thoroughly to come to an accurate consensus that (hopefully) isn't driven by any one personal bias.

Reply #81 from Sins Forums Top

Does the Akkan's chance to hit increase apply to Flak hitting strikecraft?  If so, then that may be why it only goes to 15% max, as I believe Flak has only an 80% hit chance against them.

Anima Tempest may have less duration that scramble bombers, but between the 3 extra PERMANENT squadrons on the Halcyon(The ability that Scramble Bombers is actually comparable) and the fact that they all double in size, those Scrambled Bombers, as well as the Skirantra's regular Strikecraft, are toast with just a couple of the Halcyon's SC being fighters.

Any suggestions on priority targets for Domination?  (I like to get a few of the pirate cuthroats(The ones with AM and the plunder ability))

I agree with Scramble bombers being OP ATM.  Perhaps:

lvl 1 = 1 squadron

lvl 2 = reduced cooldown

lvl 3 = 2 squadrons

A thought:  does Replicate forces work on Strikecraft?  Your description seems to hint that it does, though  think picking th ship you need more of would be better over SC, since the temporary frigates can follow you to another grav well.

Good job going through all this, guys.  I'm working on a complete stat chart with a few tips on each ship.  This'll help out a lot.

I'll be sure to give Desconnor credit for any info I use.

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/380921

-Twilight Storm

Reply #82 from Sins Forums Top

Does the Akkan's chance to hit increase apply to Flak hitting strikecraft?  If so, then that may be why it only goes to 15% max, as I believe Flak has only an 80% hit chance against them.

Yes, it does.  As I've already said, most miss-inducing effects are in the neighbourhood of 10-20%, so targeting uplink is already mostly negating them at level 3.

 

Any suggestions on priority targets for Domination?  (I like to get a few of the pirate cuthroats(The ones with AM and the plunder ability))

Hoshikos, Guardians, Subverters, Carriers, and heavies are my favourites.  If you can nab one, a starbase builder is a great target just because it's expensive.  Other than that, most frigates aren't worth your time.

 

does Replicate forces work on Strikecraft?

No, but you can use it on carriers.   Three extra carriers will produce 6 extra squads, though it will take a while for them to build up, eating away at their duration.  Still a very effective choice, though.

 

 

Reply #83 from Sins Forums Top

Does the Akkan's chance to hit increase apply to Flak hitting strikecraft? If so, then that may be why it only goes to 15% max, as I believe Flak has only an 80% hit chance against them.

Flak have a 75% chance to hit while Fighters have a 65% chance to hit other Fighters and a 75% chance to hit Bombers. Flak would get a 5, 10 and 15% chance to hit increase plus would get the 8.33, 16.67, and 25% range bonus in range of Targetting Uplink. The would also work on Hangars with the Flak Turrets upgrade.

Anima Tempest may have less duration that scramble bombers, but between the 3 extra PERMANENT squadrons on the Halcyon(The ability that Scramble Bombers is actually comparable) and the fact that they all double in size, those Scrambled Bombers, as well as the Skirantra's regular Strikecraft, are toast with just a couple of the Halcyon's SC being fighters.

I just find this statement hard to reconcile with SageWan's earlier analysis. (Reply 67 of this thread: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/335807/get;2594423).

A thought: does Replicate forces work on Strikecraft? Your description seems to hint that it does, though think picking th ship you need more of would be better over SC, since the temporary frigates can follow you to another grav well.

No. Replicate forces only works on frigates. If you want replicated strike craft you should target a carrier cruiser. 

 

Reply #84 from Sins Forums Top

The problem with Scramble Bombers was misuse, it wasn't optimised for gravwells with fighters, where the better alternative was to use fighters and heal with strikecraft repair until you had superiority.  If its preferred to spawn several squads at once, fine, but the AM cost and cooldown should be in line with other abilities.  If it was 75AM and 60 cooldown then you'd have 6 squads for 2 mins for 150AM compared to Anima Tempest 7-8 squads for 75s for 150AM.  Though Scramble would have to be bombers, thats still a massive difference... Scramble would be about 50% more effective.  The developers buffed Anima Tempest last time because they seemed to recognise that it had to be buffed together with Scramble Bombers, they seem to have abandoned that concept.

Adept Drone Anima is more comparable with Microphasing Aura, it was originally a buff to squadrons like the Sova ability, rather than more squadrons.  Buff Microphasing Aura.   

I wanted just a revert, however as it was the AM costs were getting silly, 30AM a go with 20s cooldown is too much micro.  How about 100AM with a 90s cooldown, and 2/3/4 squadrons scrambled?  Thats a minor buff from v1.18, but more reasonable in operation.    

Vertigo would only be partly negated by Uplink... and Amplify Energy Aura is also a passive that has the same effect on the other aspect of Vertigo, just more pronounced:

Vertigo negates... cooldown increase and accuracy reduction 10/20/30  Amplify Energy Aura cooldown increase 7.5/15/22.5 Targeting Uplink accuracy increase 5/10/15  Except that without Vertigo, Amplify Energy Aura always works, whereas Targeting Uplink is situational, so it seems justifiable to have the 10/20/30 rate, no?

Concentration Aura was a lapse on my behalf, I will use the Rapture in combat as a penance, I had concentrated on becoming frustrated with the Revelation.  Shouldn't you be finishing off the new Community Mappack, anyway..?  I'll keep the three star rating though, it still means you have to keep the carriers in range, a different drawback, as you said.

Maybe the Egg's colonize is more valuable- though you would never put another point into it, plus Vasari don't need capital colonise as much, because they don't need colony ship AM for extractors and can also turn expended colony ships into starbases, allowing them to make more.  You just wouldn't put another point into it.... in the later game with a new Egg and plenty of colony ships you might not even get it first.  Still, you might be right, three stars.

Phase Missile Swarm is better than Gauss Rail Gun....  it could use a buff though, almost all the straight damage abilities could.

 

Reply #85 from Sins Forums Top

Adept Drone Anima may have been comparable to Microphasing Aura in the past, but now, it is more comparable to scramble bombers.  The only difference between the two is that scramble bombers sends a new squad out at once, and can be used 3 times at once(9 squads for a few seconds at level 3) while ADA has 3 permanent squads out without costing antimatter, and you can choose what they are.  Personally, I think the two are right in line with oneanother.  Anima Tempest doubles those squads too, does it not?  that equals 6 extra squads of your choice, all at once, for its duration, rather than 3 squads of bombers only, every 35 seconds with only a few seconds where it exceeds Tempest.  If anything, we can really only say that the Halcyon got 2 squadron boosters.

-Twilight Storm

Reply #86 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Twilight_Storm, reply 85
Adept Drone Anima may have been comparable to Microphasing Aura in the past, but now, it is more comparable to scramble bombers.  The only difference between the two is that scramble bombers sends a new squad out at once, and can be used 3 times at once(9 squads for a few seconds at level 3) while ADA has 3 permanent squads out without costing antimatter, and you can choose what they are.  Personally, I think the two are right in line with oneanother.  Anima Tempest doubles those squads too, does it not?  that equals 6 extra squads of your choice, all at once, for its duration, rather than 3 squads of bombers only, every 35 seconds with only a few seconds where it exceeds Tempest.  If anything, we can really only say that the Halcyon got 2 squadron boosters.

-Twilight Storm

SB was inline with Adept Drone Anima before the buff, now it is superior to an Ultimate Ability! Plus it takes two abilities on the Halcyon (plus level 6) to even come close to what the Skirantra can do. On the other hand it's easy to pump out a few Skirantra and bump them up to level 3 (32 bombers, lol). The most squadrans you can get with a few Halcyon at level 3 is 18 and only 12 on the Sova. I like the ability to scramble 1/2/3 bombers but the AntiMatter/Cooldown costs need to be tweaked IMO. It's just too powerful in it's current state.


...# of SQUADS..................New.............Old
............TEC.....Advent.......Vasari........Vasari
...........Sova...Halcyon....Skirantra.....Skirantra
Level 1....3.........4.............6.43..............6
Level 3....4.........6............10.86.............8
Level 5....5.........8............15.29............11
Level 6....6........12.125.....16.29............12
Level 8....7........13.125.....17.29............13
Level10...8........14.125.....18.29............14
 

 

Reply #87 from Sins Forums Top

No.. Scramble is far better than Anima Tempest:

Anima Tempest 7-8 squads, 75s 150AM

Scramble Bombers L3  3 uses 9 squads 120s 150 AM and there will be all 9 squads for 50s- compared to the 75s of the entire duration of Anima Tempest.

Scramble Bombers L2 3 uses 6 squads 120s 150AM and there will be all 6 squads for 50s.... the second Level of Scramble Bombers is equivalent to Anima Tempest, thats allowing a L3 capital the equivalent of an ultimate.  Also, Anima Tempest was doubled in effect in v1.04, which just shows how risible the buff to Scramble Bombers is.  Capital ship abilities not buffed in line with Anima Tempest in v1.04 have in effect become half as useful as a L2 ability on the Skirantra....

Microphasing Aura is more equivalent to Adept Drone Anima and Heavy Strikecraft, they're all passives, ADA is 50% better than HC, which is possibly 66% better than MA.  However you then have to factor in phase missiles on the bombers, and the Skirantra already had the equivalent of another ultimate, Rapid Manufacturing, in Repair Cloud.  The Skirantra has 3 ultimates on the same ship!   

As Darvin says, it might be useful to have the other caps in line with the Halcyon, but they are not, currently.  Even then the Scramble Bombers ability needs a nerf.  It needs a nerf just so the Skirantra ultimate isn't a waste of antimatter...  The equivalent of the buff to Power Surge for other ships might help, at least the Kortul can hang around a little in this version. 

But is there any sign of balance development for the game?  A couple of months of effort, we could have balance.  All it takes is text editing, its no miracle of effort.  The current programme seems to be 4 months, lurch, imbalance, 4 months, lurch, imbalance.  If we could settle the carrier capitals arms race then perhaps some of the broken stuff could be fixed?  However the players are as much at fault.  The better players will just not play 1v1 against each other.  Opinion backed by figures, however thorough, just isn't good enough.    

Reply #88 from Sins Forums Top

bump for bumpyness.

 

i wonder if anyone has tried using magnatize to counter scramble bombers... lv 3 scramble bombers spawns 9 strike craft... lv 1 magnatize kills 8 strike craft... only problem is the massave antimatter cost magnatize has compared to scramble bombers.... and the donov and the target ship have to be close enough to the bombers to make it work.  I do find it poetic though... the magatize wears off on the skirantra, it autocasts scramble bombers, the donov recasts magnatize, and all those bombers go straight back into the skirantra.

Reply #89 from Sins Forums Top

Does Kol adaptive forcefield reduces damage before or after mitigation? I think it's a huge difference. If it reduces too little damage, may be it's better to put points in rail gun instead to combo with finest hour?

Can Sova's Rapid manufacturing be used to quickly set up starbase, and does it increase ship production rate of TEC starbase? 

Reply #90 from Sins Forums Top

Uhh..  x*.65*.15 is the same as x*.15*.65

In other words, it makes no difference.  GRG is a worthless ability that does nothing worth while.  FB and AF are far better.  The problem with the Kol is that it provides almost zero tactical value.  Just don't target it and you can ignore it.  The Kortul and Radiance are far superior to the Kol.

 

And I don't think it does.  It might, but I don't think so...

Reply #91 from Sins Forums Top

Sorry I said it wrongly. I meant does adaptive forcefield damage reduction just add to the mitigation percentage. Like if you have it at level 3 and at that time you have 65% mitigation, so in total you get 100% (35 + 65) or something close to it damage reduction.

The other case is just like what you said and it is a much weaker version.

Reply #92 from Sins Forums Top

Correct.  It does not stack with mitigation.  If it did, the defenses of the Kol would be nigh impregnable.

Reply #93 from Sins Forums Top

Hello guys,

as far as I know there have come several changes concerning capital ships within the game. That's why I'd like to ask you if ther are any plans to update the "1.2 Cap Ship Ability Guide". Please, let me know, whether this is the case or not.

See you on the battlefield (or should I say battlespace?)

wiesehano

Edit: Well, after reading the guide completely I recognized plans have been given up. But the changes have been listed at the end of the post. Thanks for that.

Reply #94 from Sins Forums Top

Wheres the 1.5 updates

Reply #95 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting morvegil, reply 94

Wheres the 1.5 updates

The person that wrote this has posted here in a long time. This one is for Entrenchment. Someone might make one for Rebellion. Maybe.

Reply #96 from Sins Forums Top

I needed to make notes on all the abilities for my mod to get the balance right. It's not as nicely laid out as the OP or that spreadsheet, but it has most of the information from v1.52 of Rebellion, and is better than nothing. The only ship I didn't get round to writing up was the Rankulas because it creates ships and was hard to summarise.

TEC:

TEC (Kol Battleship)

Gauss Rail Gun: Fire at hostile non-strikecraft within 6500 km for 400/670/940/1210 dmg, slowing movement by -100% for 10sec. (50/55/60/65AM, 6sec)

Flak Burst: Deal 30/43/56/69 dmg to hostile strikecraft within 3000/3380/3760/4140 km. (100AM, 12/10/8/7sec)

Adaptive Forcefield: Reduce damage taken by 15/23/32/40% and phase missile penetration by 24/42/58/75% for 20/29/37/46sec. (40/50/60/70AM, 45/40/35/30sec)

Finest Hour: Kol repairs 15/18.75 hull per sec, restores 3/3.75 antimatter per sec, reduces ability cooldowns by 20/25%, and gains 60/75 splash damage (1000 radius) on attacks for 60 sec. (150AM, 180sec)

 

TEC (Sova Carrier)

Missile Batteries: Deploy missile turret for 180 sec, with 13.0/17.52/23.2/30.78 dps, 750/979/1208/1438 hull, 120/140/160/185 shield, 3/4/5/6 armor. (70AM, 35sec)

Embargo: Disable trade ship phase jump engines, increases ship & structure build time in current system by 30%/53%/77%/100%, and steals 40/60/80/100% of planet/income production for 60/86/112/138 sec. (85AM, 120sec)

Heavy Fighters: (Passive) Increases this Sova's strikecraft's armor by 2/3.25/4.5/5.75 and damage dealt by 12%/22%/32%/41%.

Rapid Manufacturing: For 90/113 sec, this Sova's replacement strikecraft are built instantly, and ship & structure build time in current system is reduced by 250%. (120/90AM, 180/135sec)

 

TEC (Akkan Battlecruiser)

Colonize+: Colonize target planet within 5000 km, automatically build 1/2/3/3 free extractors in current system, and increase extraction rate by 33/55/78/100%. (90AM, 120/97/74/51sec)

Ion Bolt: Interrupt and completely disable target hostile non-titan/strikecraft within 7000 km for 3/5/6/8 sec. (85AM, 10/12/14/16sec)

Targeting Uplink: (Passive) Increase weapon range by 8%/15%/22%/29% and accuracy by 5%/9%/13%/17% for friendly non-strikecraft within 8000 km.

Armistice: All ships and structures within 12000 km have their weapons & abilities disabled and are invulnerable for 60/75 sec. (150/113AM, 180sec)

 

TEC (Dunov Battlecruiser)

Shield Restore: Instantly regenerate 250/455/660/865 shield of target friendly within 6000 km. Dunov cannot target self, and target must not be at full shields. (65AM, 11sec)

EMP Charge: Deal 150/275/395/520 dmg to and remove 50/91/132/173 antimatter from target hostile non-strikecraft within 4500/5110/5720/6325 km, and all hostile non-strikecraft within 2500/3010/3515/4025 km of target. (90AM, 40/35/30/25sec)

Magnetize: Disable target hostile non-titan/strikecraft's abilities for 10/12/15/17 sec (or after 12/19/25/32 strikecraft killed) and causes 8/11/15/18 hostile strikecraft/corvettes within 5000/6020/7035/8050 km to collide with it, dealing 25 dmg per impact. (80AM, 15sec)

Flux Field: Reduce antimatter cost of abilities by 300%/345% for friendlies within 4000 km, for 60/75 sec. (125/95AM, 180/135sec)

TEC (Marza Dreadnought)

Radiation Bomb: Deal 125/227/329/431 to target hostile non-corvette/strikecraft within 6000 km. Target and hostile non-strikecraft within 1200 km of it receive 7/13/18/24 dmg per sec for 4 sec. (85AM, 12sec)

Raze Planet: Target hostile planet within 5000 km is dealt 160/320/400/560 dmg and has 20/40/50/70 population killed. (90/80/70/60AM, 40/45/50/55sec)

Incendiary Shells: (Passive) This Marza's weapons do an extra 3/4.3/5.6/6.9 dmg per sec for 15 sec to targets it successfully hits.

Missile Barrage: Deal 120/150 x25 (3000/3750) dmg to all objects in target area within 8000km. (150/112AM, 240/180sec)

 

TEC (Corsev Battlecruiser)

Boarding Party: Deals 35/40/45/50 damage per second to targetted enemy frigate/module for 10/13/17/20 secs. If target would have died, it is instead healed 50% hull and 100% shields and converted to your side. (100/95/90/85AM, 60sec)

Demolition Team: Destroys targeted friendly frigate/module within 8000 km, dealing 300/433/567/700 damage (600/866/1133/1400 if target was boarded) to up to 25 enemies within 2000/2500/3000/3500 (if target was boarded, 2500/3000/3500/4000 range). (85AM, 90/80/70/60sec)

Salvage Operations: (Passive) Whenever friendly ship dies within 4000/4500/5000/5500 range, gain 15%/20%/25%/30% of the ship's max hull points (20%/25%/30%/35% hull points if destroyed ship was boarded).

Elite Crews: Target friendly capital ship within 5000 range gains 33%/66% damage, 70%/100% shield restore rate, and 25%/50% speed/acceleration for 180/240sec. (90AM, 70sec)

 

Advent:


Advent (Radiance Battleship)

Detonate Antimatter: Disable antimatter abilities of hostile non-corvette/strikecraft within 4500 km, draining 10 AM per second and doing 12/14/17/20 dmg per sec to them for 12/15/18/21 sec. (60AM, 20sec)

Animosity: Force 8/18/27/37 hostile non-strikecraft within 3000/3920/4835/5750 km to attack this ship for 20 secs. (65AM, 35sec)

Energy Absorptive Armor: (Passive) Turn 5%/9%/13%/17% of dmg received to Antimatter, increase Armor by 2/3.6/5.27/6.9.

Cleansing Brilliance: Fire at target hostile non-corvette/strikecraft within 8000/10000 km and do 250/312 (2000/2496) dmg over 8 sec to target and hostiles it passes through (1000/1250 beam width). (150AM, 120sec)

 

Advent (Halcyon Carrier)

Telekinetic Push: Push away hostile strikecraft within 4200 range, dealing 20/28.6/37.3/46 dmg and reducing their max speed & acceleration by 25%/45%/66%/86%. (90AM, 10sec)

Adept Drone Anima: (Passive) Increase number of strikecraft squadrons by 1/2/3/4 for this Halcyon.

Amplify Energy Aura: (Passive) Reduces energy weapon cooldown by 8%/14%/20%/26% for all friendlies within 8000 range.

Anima Tempest: Instantly create 60/75 temporary strikecraft for 75/95 sec, which are divided among existing squadrons, or form a new squadron if none exist. Also increases chance to hit on all linked strike craft by 25/31% (150/110AM, 180sec)

 

Advent (Progenitor Mothership)

Colonize: Colonize target planet within 5000 km and reduces Develop Planet cost by 15%/27%/40%/52% for 360/470/580/690 sec. (90AM, 120/90/60sec)

Malice: Target hostile non-strikecraft within 8000 km, and 8/15/21/28 hostile non-strikecraft within 3000 km target, share 30% dmg whenever one of them takes dmg, for 10 sec. (50AM, 10sec)

Shield Regeneration: Regen 37.5/49/60.5/72 shield per sec for 8 sec on self and friendlies within 3000/3533/4067/4600 range. (100AM, 20sec)

Resurrection: Transfer dead Capital's Ship lvl to new Capital Ship. Will not work if no Capital Ships have been lost. Cannot be used by Progenitor on itself. (100/75AM, 120/90sec)

 

Advent (Rapture Battlecruiser)

Vertigo: Reduce the weapon accuracy and weapon cooldowns of hostile frigate or corvette (4500/5110/5720/6325 km range) and all those within 2000/2485/2970/3450 km by 10%/18%/26%/34%, for 25 sec. (75AM, 20sec)

Vengeance: Targetted friendly non-strikecraft within 6000 km retaliates 65%/120%/175%/230% of any damage it receives to the attacker for 20/39/37/46 sec. (70AM, 30/37/45/52sec)

Concentration Aura: (Passive) The strikecraft belonging to friendlies within 8000 km do 10%/18%/26%/34.5% extra damage.

Domination: Take control of target hostile frigate within 6000/7500 km. (150/112AM, 60sec)

 

Advent (Revelation Battlecruiser)

Reverie: Disable hostile capital ship or frigate within 8000 km for 20/29/37/46 sec or until it takes 200/287/373/460 dmg. (75/75/65/65AM, 15sec)

Guidance: Friendly non-corvettes/strikecraft within 8000 km have their ability cooldowns reduced 25/30/35/40% for 20/25/30/35 sec. (90/100/110/120AM, 50sec)

Clairvoyance: View target system for 90/118/145/175 sec, infinite range. (70/60/50/40 AM, 15sec)

Provoke Hysteria: Reduce the health of target hostile planet within 5000 km by 1%/1.25% per sec, and population by 0.75%/0.86% per sec for 40 sec. (150AM, 180/135sec)

 

Advent (Discord Battleship) 

Fracture: Reduce the armor of the target non-strikecraft ship and all those within 3500/4000/4500/5000 km by 2/2.5/3.5/5 for 20 sec. (45AM, 30sec)

Psionic Scream: Deal 100/200/300/400 (125/250/375/500 with fracture) damage to targeted capitalship or frigate within 4500/5000/5500/6000 km and all those within 3500 km, and also disable their abilities for 3/4/5/6 seconds. (90/85/80/75AM, 25sec)

Lethargy: Increase weapon cooldown by 10/15/20/25% and ability cooldown by 25/33/41/50% of targetted titan/frigate/capship within 4000 km for 15 sec. (24AM, 25sec)

Revenge from Beyond: Cast on friendly frigate within 8500km. Does 450/650 damage to all hostile non-corvette/strikecraft ships within 8000km when the target dies. (150AM, 160sec)

 

Vasari:


Vasari (Kortul Devastator)

Power Surge: Decrease own weapon cooldown by 25%/45%/66%/86% and restore shields per second 25/34/43/52 for 20/25/30/35 sec.  (60AM, 30/35/40/45sec)

Jam Weapons: Disable weapons of hostile strikecraft within 4500/5500/6500/7500 km for 20 sec. (70AM, 40/35/30/25sec)

Disruptive Strikes: (Passive) Every shot has 30% chance increase on hit to increase hostile's cooldowns by 17%/30%/44%/57.5% for 15 sec and remove 12/22/32/41 antimatter.

Volatile Nanites: Target hostile non-strikecraft within 6000/7500 km and other hostiles within within 2000 km of it take 30/37.5% extra dmg for 60 sec. and deal 150/187 dmg on death to nearby hostiles within 1000 km. (150AM, 180sec)



Vasari (Skirantra Carrier)

Repair Cloud: Repair 20/25/30/35 hull per sec for 10/12/14/16 sec (200/300/420/560 total repaired) on friendlies within 3000/3530/4070/4600 range. (100/90/80/70AM, 12sec)

Scramble Bombers: Create 1/2/3/4 squadrons of bombers for 75 sec. (50AM, 30sec)

Microphasing Aura: (Passive) Friendly strikecraft within 8000 km have a 20%/30%/30%/35% chance of teleporting 750km close to their target, making them invulnerable for 1 sec, every 4/4/3/3 sec.

Replicate Forces: Instantly produce 3/4 copies of target frigate you own, for 150/175 sec. (125/100AM, 180/160sec)

 

Vasari (Jarrasul Evacuator)

Colonize: Colonize target planet, and create 1/2/3/4 additional construction frigates for 240/436/632/828 sec. (90AM, 120/97/74/51sec)

Gravity Warhead: Target non-strikecraft ship within 6000 km, and all those within 3000/3533/4066/4600 km of it, have its phase jump disabled, max speed reduced by 30%/43%/56%/69%, and acceleration reduced by  60%/86%/112%/138% for 12/15/18/21 sec. (100AM, 25sec)

Nano-Disassembler: Deal 25 hull dmg per sec to target non-strikecraft within 6000 km and reduce its armor by 1.5/2.7/3.6/5.2, for 25/32/43/52 sec. (75AM, 12sec)

Drain Planet: Deal 45/51.75 dmg per sec to, kill 2/2.3% population of, and steal 15/17.25 credits per sec from target planet within 6600 km, for 30 sec. (150AM, 180sec)

 

Vasari (Antorak Marauder)

Phase Out Hull: Target friendly or enemy non-titan/strikecraft within 7000 km is disabled and invulnerable for 6/8/10/12 sec, and takes 200 shield damage (enemy) or receives 200 shield points (friendly). (60/55/45/35AM, 5/4/3/2sec)

Distort Gravity: Antorak and nearby friendly capitalships/frigates/titans within 5000 km increases max speed by 33%/55%/77%/100%, increases linear acceleration by 50%/66%/83%/100%, increases angular thrust by 25%/45%/63%/86%, become immune to phase inhibitors, and can phase jump 8%/15%/21%/28% further from the system edge, for 30 sec. (65AM, 45sec)

Subversion: Increase ship & structure build time of hostile planet by 50%/91%/132%/173% for 300%/430%/560%/690%. (100AM, 75sec)

Stabilize Phase Space: Creates a Phase Stabilizer in current system for 75/94 sec. (100/75AM, 120/90sec)

 

Vasari (Vulkoras Desolator)

Phase Missile Swarm: Deal 200/363/527/690 dmg to 4/7/11/14 hostile non-strikecraft in target area within 6500km. (90AM, 15sec)

Deploy Siege Platform: Deploy siege turret for 180 sec near target hostile planet within 2600 km. Has 735 hull, 2 armor, and does 20/26/31/37 bombing damage and 1/2/2/3 population damage. (35AM, 20ec)

Assault Specialization: (Passive) This Vulkoras does 90/164/237/311 extra damage per hit against structures (12.85/23.42/33.85/44.4 DPS boost), and bombs planets 25%/50%/75%/100% faster.

Disintegration: (Channeled) Heals 1500 shields and hull, restores 120/152 antimatter to self, drains 160/200 antimatter and deals 1200/1504 hull and shield damage over 8 sec to target hostile non-strikecraft within 6000 km. (150AM, 90sec)

 

Vasari (Rankulas Battleship)

Create Combat Swarm: Creates combat swarm for 180sec. (40AM, 30sec)

Create Support Swarm Creates support swarm for 180sec. (40AM, 60sec)

Create Assault Swarm Creates assault swarm for 180sec. (40AM, 90sec)

Reassemble Combines active swarms into a greater swarm with bonus hull/shield/weapons based on the number of swarms combined. (150AM, 90sec)

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Reply #97 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Ryat, reply 95
Psionic Scream: Deal 100/200/300/400 (125/250/375/500 with fracture) damage to targeted capitalship or frigate within 4500/5000/5500/6000 km and all those within 3500 km, and also disable their abilities for 3/4/5/6 seconds. (90/85/80/75AM, 25sec)

 

Whoa, calling all captains: is that right? The Psionic Scream gives an Interrupt, e.g., vs Marza's missile barrage? Could the most informed modder out there inform on accuracy?

 

 

Reply #98 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting candido-, reply 97
Whoa, calling all captains: is that right? The Psionic Scream gives an Interrupt, e.g., vs Marza's missile barrage? Could the most informed modder out there inform on accuracy?

Just double checked. It definitely disables abilities as well, but only of capital ships and frigates (whereas the damage also effects titans and corvettes). So it's like an AoE Ion Blast that also does damage.

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Reply #99 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting candido-, reply 97


Quoting Ryat, reply 95Psionic Scream: Deal 100/200/300/400 (125/250/375/500 with fracture) damage to targeted capitalship or frigate within 4500/5000/5500/6000 km and all those within 3500 km, and also disable their abilities for 3/4/5/6 seconds. (90/85/80/75AM, 25sec)

 

Whoa, calling all captains: is that right? The Psionic Scream gives an Interrupt, e.g., vs Marza's missile barrage? Could the most informed modder out there inform on accuracy?

 

 

Without an interrupt the disable abilities is fairly useless. Casting this won't interrupt an ability that has already been fired.

I can't think of any situation where a disable ability of 3-6 seconds will have any impact on gameplay.

 

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Reply #100 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 99
I can't think of any situation where a disable ability of 3-6 seconds will have any impact on gameplay.

 

My original question was about Interrupt, and you indeed did answer it (thank you!). That is, the Psionic Scream does not interrupt.

 

Now, just to continue the conversation, here's the hypothetical you are looking for:

Enemy Akkan level 6, attentively watching to activate Armistice when allied TEC starbase goes red button, but allied Advent player does a Psionic Scream on Akkan just before the red button. So, the Psionic Scream delays the Armistice, and the TEC red button has the needed 3 seconds to go off.

Of course, I imagine such a coordinated scenario as never happening in a real game of 5s.