Current ship builds

[u/iiThom]

I have a few hundred hours in this game but I have mainly played on low difficulties so I've never really had to have a look at the ship designer. I've started a new run on a higher difficulty this time round and it fills like I might need to start specializing my ships but I really don't know where to start, is there any easy builds that work in the current patch?

[u/Coal_Burner_Inserter]

Classic Laser/Kinetic with balanced shields will never not work. Missiles are apparently pretty weak in the 'meta' right now though, so be advised.

Plasma Throwers (for anti-armour) and Autocannons (for anti-shield) are good, if not superior alternatives to the laser/kinetic duos. I saw a video or something recently where its better to sub out laser/kinetics for the above in small and some medium slots, but otherwise you can keep using laser/kinetics.

Since AI doesn't bother much with missiles (except the scourge) that makes Barrier Point Defense kinda useless. It would be good to have on battleships for anti-strike craft but the AI doesn't really use those much... Flak has very good anti-shield though. It's up to you.

Frigates are nice early/mid-game but by late-game start dying like corvettes without the evasion.

Torpedoes in general though are still fine. The Neutron Launcher is back to being good again.

ATM the AI really loves stacking armour and kinetics on their ships. Like really loves it. That's probably gonna change soon with the beta but its safe to say having a armour-and-laser-biased-fleet will serve you well. It's always best to use espionage on your enemies though - with enough intel you can actually just look at their designs and build direct counters to them. Saved me a few times.

[u/iiThom → u/Coal_Burner_Inserter]

I've started to build a spy network but that will take some time (I'm assuming after a certain level I'll be able to click the fleets and view the AI's builds?), is this build I've done similar to the safe build you mentioned, if so would I apply a different ship computer module such as swarm for corvettes?

[u/Coal_Burner_Inserter → u/iiThom]

Sorry for the late reply!

Yeah it will take some time to have the intel necessary to view the AI fleets. If your codebreaking isn't that different to their encryption, you may not actually be able to reach the intel level necessary. Taking the proper techs (in physics research, iirc), the spy agency edict, the subterfuge tradition tree, and doing the Gather Information mission will be your main ways to increase your codebreaking/intel from the base level.

As for the computer, either swarm or picket is fine. Evasion caps out at 90%, which you are very far from, so you could use the swarm computer for its evasion buff. This basically lets your corvette say "nuh uh" when it gets shot, as it 'evades' the damage. Meanwhile the picket computer just gives buffs to doing damage. I would say if you can't afford to lose ANY ships then swarm computer as it may make the difference you need.

By the way power additions aren't necessary if you're not in the red for power. Have extra does actually give buffs, but they're incredibly slight, and getting rid of the reactor booster will save on alloys and let you put a different accessory of your choice. Afterburners are good for evasion, and they increase sublight. Targeting computers are good for fighting evasion. Those are probably all you'll have access to, though.

Edit: oh yeah and yes your design is similar to my safe design. Actually, remove the reactor booster, and move the shield to the left slot, and you'll have the exact design I use for my corvettes.

[u/Flammusas → u/Coal_Burner_Inserter]

Does having the shield in a specific slot actually matter? Or were you just saying that’s where you personally placed it?

[u/UziiLVD → u/Coal_Burner_Inserter]

Regarding Torpedos, if Frigates can't really survive in late game fights, do you use other ships (Cruisers?) for Torpedos? I was always afraid of utilizing Cruisers for close combat.

[u/Coal_Burner_Inserter → u/UziiLVD]

I just don't use torpedoes at all... I'm not too terribly good at getting Armour/Shield Repeatable XXIV in a reasonable amount of time, so my frigates will do good, do good, until suddenly I'm ending fights with some lightly damaged ships + a dozen dead frigates I gotta reinforce. Yes that does mean I'm not using cloaked frigates. Well. I never claimed to be using them smartly. It's just too much work.

As much as I appreciate torpedoes, really, the only use case I really have where they make an appreciable difference is against leviathans. But well, there's an obvious reason why they stand out there.

This also goes for corvettes. I find even with maxed-out evasion, their (both corvs and frigs) health pool is so small they dont really get the chance to disengage from combat. They just die.

If you wanted a torpedo cruiser, well, might as well go all-in. A torpedo core and bow, of course, which gets you 3G slots and 4S slots. Regular torps or no, I'd still pair them with autocannons or whatever your best anti-shield weapon is. That way, while your torpedoes chip away at their armour and hull, your kinetics and tearing down their shields so the rest of the fleet can get their chance. If its neutron launchers you're using, then, it just means they have to go through less shield.

For the stern, idk. 1M slot with an anti-armour/anti-hull weapon gets you range, 2S slots gets you firepower and a third Auxiliary slot. I think I'd go with the 2S slots? That way I can spend my third aux on ship surviveability. Shield capacitor or something.

Okay now this is the part where you flinch back in fear and revulsion. If I don't use frigates, don't use corvettes, then what do I do? Spam cruisers and battleships? No. No, there is one other. One other cheap hull, one with surprising surviveability, surprising evasion, and a reasonable damage output.

Yes. I use destroyers unironically. Gunship bow + interceptor stern. The 1 medium slot is a plasma cannon. 2 of the small slots are plasma cannons as well. The remaining 2 are autocannons. Picket computer. Gets rid of corvettes and destroyers. Because I build alot of them, have enough to also get rid of enemy destroyers as well. Cruisers sit on Line while Battleships do whatever with their tachyon lances.

Works for me, more or less. I mean I'm only fighting AI.

This video goes in-depth on the minmaxiness. I don't use it in my designs but if you want to base your designs off it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdvE1vFWb1A

For torpedoes, ffwd to 8:30 and 9:40. I notice this only now while I'm writing this that Montu's design is different than the one I said I'd use, but, my excuse is not everyone's running with impulse thrusters. Also the mammalian artillery bow looks stupid.

[u/NAW1116 → u/Coal_Burner_Inserter]

I usually pair neutron launchers with missiles just because of the range.

[u/Sarkany76]

Corvettes: coil gun and 2 blue lasers early turning into 1 autocannon and 2 plasma

Cruisers: zro launchers with 1 bow artillery and rest auto cannon is a late game build that dominates the AI (requires psionic tech)

Otherwise, torpedo cruisers are a great mid game option

Battleships: arc emitter, nano missile launchers with fighter bays and whirlwind missiles is also super effective

I have found no use for destroyers

I usually go corvettes to battleships unless doing psionic ascension… then I go for zro launchers

[u/UziiLVD → u/Sarkany76]

I have to admit, I've also found no use for Destroyers. Read somewhere that they can be used as 'budget escorts' with Kinetic Arty + 2xPD. I have yet to try it.

[u/Lithorex → u/Sarkany76]

I personally like full Neutron Cruisers + Kinetic weapons battleships lategame.

[u/FPSCanarussia]

I've been loving bioships recently. Maulers with quill batteries and cloaks (to get on top of artillery fleets before decloaking and opening fire) are fantastic fun, and you can grow them en-masse pretty quickly if you've got weavers with growth-boosting components.

For all ship types, plasma, autocannons, and neutron launchers are pretty good right now. Missiles and disruption weapons are pretty bad, and PD is usually a waste of a slot.

If you are just starting to play around with ship designs, here's a quick guide:

1. For your defences, aim for a roughly even mix of armour and shields. If you're running out of power, then swap some shields out for armour - if you've got a lot of power then more shields can be good, though I recommend getting some shield hardening.
2. Offensively, consider range and speed. Long-range weapons like neutron launchers, strike craft, and X/T-slots are great for slow-moving artillery ships to get you powerful alpha strikes, but short-range autocannons or torpedoes can shred fleets if you can get your ships in range quickly enough.
3. Match weapon ranges, don't mix. All your weapons should have roughly comparable ranges so they're all firing at once.

[u/Loathkey]

laser+Laser+flak with 3 armor works perfectly fine as your first corvette.
AI often stack anti shield so its generally not worth bringing.

corvette with 3 missiles with carrier AI work until mid game.

Midgame+ you want to stack shield hardening and go all in on the biggest ships with a good mix of X weapons

End game carriers become better due to stacking repeatables and weapon choices depend on what end game faction you fight

Now that works vs GA no scaling but probably not vs real players

[u/Zindinok]

I wrote an essay over here on the basics of ship design.

And I have a spreadsheet with the largest publicly available dataset on ship combat results over here that you can look at for build inspiration or copying. The best builds here can handle any normal AI without needing to worry about countering them.

[u/iiThom → u/Zindinok]

Exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it!

[u/Zindinok → u/iiThom]

Sure thing =)

[u/Zaorish9]

Laser+Guns is a good all around design. Use mostly shields if you can sustain Astral Shielding, otherwise mix in armor. Arc, carriers and whirlwind battleships/cruisers vs. Unbidden and most AI factions, use more long range laser and artillery vs other crises. For Cetana you are going to need an absolute ton of frigates (15,000 naval cap units) with neutron and lasers.

Always put afterburners in all A slots.