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The information is based on countless battles from all chapters in Hard difficulty. Details include optimal use of squadrons/weapons in various battle scenarios.

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The combination of ship weapons and squadrons help ensure victory by complementing each other. All equipment are not created equal with some being more useful than others. Only the ones that were battle-proven will be discussed and elaborated further.

Tesla Field Generator
the only weapon that can constantly damage enemy squadron over time. It is one of the fastest cooldown weapons and can damage multiple squadrons. However, the full damage can only be done if the enemy is pinned in the affected tiles by either Magneto Frigates or Sub Zero weapon.

Plasma Nukes & Cannons
Instantly damage enemy squadrons in a small radius. These weapons have a longer cool down but can work as a substitute to Tesla when not available.

Heavy Nukes
Most expensive weapon that has the longest cooldown and best used against very large squadron fleets like the first chapter boss.

Despite lacking in practical use, the Nuke animation is still fun to watch.

Piercer Laser inflicts small damage and adds heat to the system. Hull Breaker Laser does more damage but adds no heat. Two of these kind of weapons are recommended to finish off enemy ships when friendly squadrons are out of commission.

The best ship weapon to overheat enemy systems and kill the manning officer(s).
Each overheat locks the targeted system for a few seconds and injures officer by one HP.
The resulting effect removes any existing proximity defense, shielding, or repair.
The repeated overheats kill all enemy officers and fire can no longer be extinguished!

Note: The lethal firing skill enhances the beam to fully overheat in one shot!

Each battle usually start with defending first before attacking then cycling back and forth. Squadrons are the main weapon of choice because they are abundant, attack faster, and have higher DPS.

With the exception of the Jericho class, ship weapons are mainly used to cripple or destroy squadrons before reaching their targets.

The first and foremost task is to examine the enemy squadron dock size and which classes are being used.

Such information determines how to counter properly and whether to be offensive on the opening move.

Note: Each successive sector correspond upgrades the enemy squadron dock size. For example, the enemy will have 4 squadron docks when reaching the last part of the sector (3/3).

Each battlefield can include randomized space objects and weather events. These factors determine positioning of own squadrons and which bottleneck passages to exploit.

Various types of squadrons are useful in enhancing defense capabilities.
Frigates/fighters/drones form the frontline that is reinforced with ranged fire from cruisers.
The Tesla Field accelerates their destruction as melee combat locks them in place.

The time to attack is determined by the presence of enemy squadrons on the battlefield and their recovery time. The offensive is delayed longer as the enemy is able to send multiple waves of healthy squadrons in short time. A good indicator is when the enemy is starting to use patched squadrons and recovery time is prolonged after each defeated wave.

The squadron systems are usually the first to target unless they have 3-4 ship weapons.

Most damage can be inflicted if the squadrons destroy one hull bar before firing the ship weapons.The reverse order is to briefly retreat the squadrons away to perform the coup de grace with the ship weapons before sending them back in.

Note: Squadrons attacking the enemy ship will be knocked back and stunned when it loses a hull bar.

The purpose of this maneuver is to cause mass confusion and disrupt the enemy offensive.

A single squadron is sent out to attack the enemy ship directly while evading their incoming attack. They will respond by diverting 1-2 squadrons to retreat and defend.
The fighter class is the best choice to send alone for its high DPS and preferably the Wraith when available.
Even against superior numbers, the maneuver is still very useful when no other options remain.

The battle can still be won through a clutch victory!

A modified version of the frigate that can only attack the enemy ship.

Their enhanced health compensates for its inability to defend itself.

The other purpose is to be used as a shield for the supporting cruisers.

With the exception of random prototypes, drones usually possess a special ability called Brutal Disassembling that generates extra scrap from battles by directly attacking the enemy ship.

Each Shredder needs sufficient time to reach its max scrap limit and is better when obtained earlier for the long run!

One of the best prototypes that can be destroyed without getting the patched penalty!
They are best used for offensive purposes that face the most carnage.

With the exception of bosses, battles are mostly consistent with identical AI behavior. Battles that have too many mistakes can be redone with a simple exit or Alt & F4.

Never accept surrender from the enemy as more rewards are given from their complete destruction.

This guide was written by Laguna Queen et al. (2022) on Steam, and not to be republished without crediting the authors and gaining their permission. We can be reached through the the guide comment section below.

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