Quality of Quantity

from Sins Forums
I was playing against my friend today and I have a lot more capital ships than him so I thought it would be an easy battle but he actually had a ton of small frigates. My fleet had to retreat due to the mass of ships. I was wondering is it better to devote most of your resources to getting more cpaital ships with a smaller amount of frigates, or to devote your resources to having tons of Frigates with maybe a couple of Cpaitals?
strategy
3,330 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Focus-firing frigates can still beat a handful of capital ships. You always always need at least some sort of frigate support. Try LRM frigates and focus-firing on his frigates one by one.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
You shouldn't have more than two cap ships, maybe three, and that only if you're advent.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
You shouldn't have more than two cap ships, maybe three, and that only if you're advent.
End of quote


Maybe that's your opinion, but definitely not mine. In big games it is nice to have 6 capital ships but that is at 850 fleet supply.

2 Radiance
1 Revelation
1 Progenitor
1 Halycon
1 Rapture

Coupled with mass transcendence the caps will raise levels like you've never before seen. When you have a cap fleet full of level 6 and higher, it's pretty much game over.

For Vasari as well, caps can be very very useful.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
I agree, Advent can do well with 5 (although I've done as many as 8 in a very long game). In general I prioritize the Progenitors, Radiance, and a Halcyon. Revelation and Rapture are good ships for some situations, but I find the Progenitor and Radiance more useful, and the one Halcyon for it's aura.

To be on topic though, quantity does trump quality. Capitals are usually best used as support ships, backing up larger fleets (usually composed more heavily of LRMs and Heavy Cruisers). An all Capital fleet just can't match the damage that the frigate/cruiser class ships will put out.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Maybe if you have the cap ship's abilities on auto-cast and not targeting and using the abilities at the right time. I can't say quite the same for TEC or Vessari, but Cleansing Brilliance + Malice completely messes up large fleets who rely on focus firing.

I don't know if the TEC or Vessari have anything that can help them out quite as effectively, but I find it hard to believe they don't.

I've seen people say that you get more for your money's worth with buying a ton of frigates or even cruisers in replace of the cost of one cap ship. They believe that the fire power you get from an equal amount of frigates would be better than the cap ship. This may be true, but a cap ship's true strength does not stem from their fire power alone, but their abilities.

I'm curious. I could be wrong, as I haven't played online much (never been able to finish a game because of quitters) but how many people who think an equal number of frigates/cruisers are more effective than one cap ship just leave their abilities on autocast?
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
Typically, I have at least three cap ships in a small game, and have had up to 8.

Frigates/cruisers are more efficient from a cost/fire power ratio, heavy cruisers too. But as mentioned, lack special abilities which make a cap ship so valuable. A frigate swarm is toast to a Malice/CB combo, or any 'area of attack' ability from an enemy cap ship. As a counter, 3 Kol's and an Akkan will pop an enemy cap ship pretty quick. a little more range and accuacy go a long way on a level 3 guass.. Malice/CB only works if you have the cap ships.

It all depends on your opponent. Scouts are the real key. I find that the more intel I have on my enenmy, the more effective my counters, or counter fleet.

Scouts are cheap for a reason. You should always have two out there.