Actually, Vasari skirmishers suck.  In terms of bang for your buck, they're actually one of the worst units in the game.  Their only redeeming feature is reintegration, which must be researched, by which time you should be getting assailants anyways.

Enslaved Labour isn't necessary.  It takes a while for that discount to pay off, and often times it's not worth it.  I often get the upgrade that increases salvage efficiency then scuttle my civic labs once I've researched everything I want.

Six, you want to research their special ability...

Transporters are awesome.  Once you have some phase missile research done, their strike craft are easily the best against frigates.  They are expensive, though, so you'll need to use them carefully and not get them killed.  Don't risk the transporters if you can help it.

Yup, they're your primary healers and invaluable for keeping capital ships alive.  Also wickedly effective when combined with a starbase.

Don't get the shield upgrades as Vasari (or TEC, for that matter).  They're too expensive and offer less than other upgrades.  A better choice is the armour upgrade.

Sounds pertty good.

You said you are being stingy with research.  You certainly don't want to be careless with money in MP, but I'd say to spam reseaarch in SP, if that's what you are playing.

One tip is to get all levels of enslaved labor before you spam refineries and trade ports, because those things are expensive.

Get the mineral upgrades as vasari.  They are good, since you get "two for the price of one."

Didn't see anything about starbases in your strategy?

As Darvin said, research the subverter special ability with the 6th lab.  Then make sure to stop everything you are doing and watch one in action if you haven't seen one use the ability before.  It will do an "in grav well phase jump" to its target and shut it down.  Lights out!

Try Returning Armada.  Research phasic transmissions too.

Dont be nervous this is just the kind of thing vasari are meant to do. win at any cost.

1. Lasuraks are really good when you have 3+ Skirantra Carriers. Mix them as 5 Assailants to 1 Lasurak

 in the beginning, then lead to 5-4.

2. Overseers are helpful when you need to save a Cap or an important structure,for example PS. If you have a TEC ally in the battle with Dunov, your cap becomes invulnerable.

3. I will list most important Vasari techs:

Empire Tree

Phasic Cloaking

Phasic Barrier

Highly Attuned Sensors (giant maps)

Power Draining Nanites

Enslaved Labor

Military Tree:

 hull research +  2 points in Reintegration

Charged Missiles

Distortion Field (Makes Subverters extremely good unit)

and Kostura, I think its better than novalith

I know we dont do shield techs as vasari

but you didnt mention armour i always take armor

and repair bays

Sorry it took so long to reply, and I really appreciate the information folks! 

Darvin, thanks for the information about the Enslaved Labor (which i've heard more than once was great to have) and putting my worries to rest about the transporters.  And the shield upgrades not being worth it... these are the subtleties that I was hoping for.

Volt your combo post was hysterical... I can just picture the nervous laughing with the shifty eyes.  Alas, I have yet to get Entrenchment as I've only had Vanilla for about two weeks or so.

Phoenix, I appreciate the straighforward list of techs... i'm going to have to make sure they go with the ones I generally get since i don't have them all memorized by name yet.

I don't know what it is but I really like the Vasari... I hope after this patch they're more competitive.  I can't put my fingers on why exactly... I think I've always liked the evil race.  I always played Zerg.  And man I freakin love that Egg!  Between the nanite bomb and planet drain, just wow.  And of course the upgraded carnage of phase missles, straight deathy!

Enslaved labor is in the long run good, but in the short term, it may not be so good.  If you are in the pocket, get it definitely.  If rushing or in suicide, don't.  Other than that, it just depends on the situation.

But of course phase missile upgrades are the real reason for the Vasari.  By default PM's function as any other weapon, but by researching that percentage of shield bypass, you drastically increase their power.  At the end of the day, you end up with around 3-4 times the power (I can't remember who actually calculated this).  They are critical.

Also, do not be deceived by Phase Missile Swarm on the Vulkoras Desolator.  It does not deal Phase Missile damage.  All missiles it fires are normal...

Bit confused about how those phase missile upgrades work myself. What makes them so good?

ah right i see, i didnt realies they avoided the mitigation. have been putting off researching them in favor of hull upgrades first, but guess ill swap them round now

Phase Missles Highest tech level plus subverters make enemy ships go boom

What a productive comment to make in a thread that was pretty much concluded