TEC though seem rather lacking in the long range carrier department
While they have no particular advantage in the carrier department, TEC is actually rock solid for long range frigates. The Javelis LRM actually gives the best damage output by cost of any unit in the game.
The TEC Akkan is the king of colony capital ships, and you can get a roaring economy going with this thing. The 2-lab trade port availability works quite well on fastest speed and you can often be running a scary economic powerhouse before the first shots are fired.
Also What ships should be my fleets mainstay - Kodiak's look neat - what else ?
Javelis LRM, Hoshiko Robotics Cruisers, Garda Flak Frigates, Percheron Carriers, and Kodiaks.
5 labs for Kodiaks is a bit of a jump early on, so use Javelis to begin with.
Definitely get the hoshiko online asap. Playing as TEC without using hoshikos is downright masochistic; it's your best unit, if not
the best unit in the game. From there, pick based on your needs. Often times just a massive chunk of LRF is the best way to go.
As mentioned, Sova, Akkan, and Marza are your top picks for capital ships. Later on your might consider Dunov or Kol, but they're more niche selections.
TEC's biggest weakness is a lack of scaling abilities and late-game combos. They're really at their strongest the moment they get the hoshiko out on the field, and the rest of the game is basically the other two factions catching up and ultimately surpassing TEC. TEC is seriously out of its element if the game goes super-late, so try to make your move early, before the enemy unlocks the high-end stuff in their tech tree.
