How to Destroy/Take Starbases

[bouvonddrg]

How do you efficiently destroy/take enemy star bases? Despite whatever fleet comp I try, including using assault shuttles, I always receive heavy losses, or get destroyed entirely. What am I doing wrong?

[mrmike_49]

AFAIK you can't capture them, only destroy them

I don't try until I have Cruisers, with good shields and good missiles, usually 1 or 2 Cruisers can do it, unless it is a Military Starbase

[z|A|bik2]

You can capture starbases, but you need a lot of shuttles. Like a lot of them. So if you want to capture, rather then destroy it, try focusing on getting multiple shuttles, along with defences, to survive first salvo from the starbase

[starship_trooper]

To capture a starbase, just put troop transports in the fleet that attacks them. After the battle it will be yours.

[mrmike_49]

Originally posted by starship_trooper:

To capture a starbase, just put troop transports in the fleet that attacks them. After the battle it will be yours.

Do Siege ships work or does it have to be transports?

[z|A|bik2]

Originally posted by mrmike_49:

Do Siege ships work or does it have to be transports?

Ah I think there might be some confusion about game terms. Siege and transport can be used only to capture planets.

To capture a starbase you need "assault shuttles", which are their own thing, and require own research and modules.

[starship_trooper]

Originally posted by z|A|bik2:

Originally posted by mrmike_49:

Do Siege ships work or does it have to be transports?

Ah I think there might be some confusion about game terms. Siege and transport can be used only to capture planets.

To capture a starbase you need "assault shuttles", which are their own thing, and require own research and modules.

This is definitely not correct. I captured numerous starbases with just transports and never built any assault shuttles.

Just load a save and try it out.

[starship_trooper]

Originally posted by mrmike_49:

Originally posted by starship_trooper:

To capture a starbase, just put troop transports in the fleet that attacks them. After the battle it will be yours.

Do Siege ships work or does it have to be transports?

I don't know, but since siege ships are some kind of bombardment unit, it probably works only with transports (and possibly assault shuttles).

[Illauna]

Originally posted by z|A|bik2:

Originally posted by mrmike_49:

Do Siege ships work or does it have to be transports?

Ah I think there might be some confusion about game terms. Siege and transport can be used only to capture planets.

To capture a starbase you need "assault shuttles", which are their own thing, and require own research and modules.

If you have a transport in your fleet when you invade they will invade the starbase after the fight. It was one of the changes made is Warlords.

[Illauna]

Originally posted by bouvonddrg:

How do you efficiently destroy/take enemy star bases? Despite whatever fleet comp I try, including using assault shuttles, I always receive heavy losses, or get destroyed entirely. What am I doing wrong?

So one thing about shuttles is each one is basically a single shot weapon that will fire when a ship gets into 3km range or just outside beam range. The pods attack value is assault attack and the defender has assault defense. Each pod will roll a value between 1 and assault attack and then that value is subtracted from the assault defense of the defender. Once the assault defense reaches 0 then it's captured. It's impossible to capture a ship or starbase with only 1 pod.

Some people swear by large capital ships with lots of shuttle pods I like lots of frigates with a pod each. Frigates point for point of logistics can carry more shuttle pods than a capital ship can. Sure they are squishier but I only use such fleets against smaller fleets. You need about 3 pods per 100 assault defense of the defender. It's a random number between 1 and assault attack value per shuttle verses the shuttle defense value. With a large enough fleet they can capture smaller fleets and mop up the rest with minimal losses.

Against starbases I think it was something in the ballpark of 12 shuttle pods. Or 1 transport. The disadvantage of taking over with a transport is the starbase will have 1 hp after the battle. Keep that in mind if your the type of player that doesn't defend their starbaes very well. 1 volley will eliminate this starbase.