How to defend against hive attack?

[pemmons1]

I've never had a planet attacked by a hive, but it will happen soon to my planet with a DF farm, which is the only planet in its system. And I suppose it will be a biggie, because the hive is level 20. What defenses do I need?

I have seven or eight planetary shields, but understand that their primary purpose is to keep new bases from being established, not to repel attacks. I suppose they should all be protected with a signal tower, a battlefield analysis base, and laser turrets. What else? I also have a battery of six missile turrets, but this is probably far too few. Probably at least one more battery should be built on the opposite side of the planet (since the missiles require some time to reach their targets). How should missile turrets be configured?

I have no experience with implosion cannons. Where should they be placed and configured?

What would happen if I attacked the hive pre-emptively with Icarus-- not to destroy it but just to weaken it? Would this weaken its attack on the planet, or would it make the DF angrier and the attack worse?

[Jay]

Plasma turrets have long range and decent damage.

I haven't seen a space hive get to level 20 without ever launching an attack - is it really that high, or is it the land-hive's level (they are different)?

If the space hive is low level, you'll get a handful of easy units (like when the ground hive is low level). Plasma turrets will make short work of that.

Edit: it's hard for anyone to give tangible numbers of what defenses you'll need, because it will vary with your DF settings.
For the moment I'd get up plasma turrets with the best ammo you can produce.

[josmith7]

Implosion cannon only work against planetary threats. The space hive's warships can only b engaged with missiles or plasma turrets -- and plasma turrets have longer range and do more damage.

Most planets I stuck only 4 plasma turrets around each pole, but for the dark fog farms I bumped that up to 8. Those will generally kill even a lvl 30 attack (at somewhat increased, but not maxed out, dark fog settings -- I think the largest attack I watched was 24 ships) before most of the ships can even fire on the planet. And having shields will tank any incidental orbital bombardments that might occur until the plasma turrets can finish wiping out the attack.

[dhitch89]

Originally posted by pemmons1:

I have seven or eight planetary shields, but understand that their primary purpose is to keep new bases from being established, not to repel attacks.

They do block attacks from space as well as prevent new relays from landing inside their AOE, as long as the energy to maintain them is present. It's only already-present ground assaults that they do nothing for.

[robfilrhijar]

If you use that anti matter plasma as ammo nothing gets through.

[pemmons1]

Thanks! I should have studied the Wiki to understand that plasma turrets defend against attacks from space, and the ammunition that they use. I think I'll place at least one around every planetary shield. I have begun making plasma capsules and will also produce antimatter capsules, but there might not be enough time to get them going.

[Jack]

Depends on your difficulty settings. My current game is 'torpid' but with max xp gain rate and the first space hive raid at lvl 29 was about 3, maybe 5 ships

I have 16 missile launchers, all at the same pole, with the basic ammo and they easily dealt with the attack. I do have full shield coverage though

[vkobe]

Originally posted by pemmons1:

I've never had a planet attacked by a hive, but it will happen soon to my planet with a DF farm, which is the only planet in its system. And I suppose it will be a biggie, because the hive is level 20. What defenses do I need?

I have seven or eight planetary shields, but understand that their primary purpose is to keep new bases from being established, not to repel attacks. I suppose they should all be protected with a signal tower, a battlefield analysis base, and laser turrets. What else? I also have a battery of six missile turrets, but this is probably far too few. Probably at least one more battery should be built on the opposite side of the planet (since the missiles require some time to reach their targets). How should missile turrets be configured?

I have no experience with implosion cannons. Where should they be placed and configured?

What would happen if I attacked the hive pre-emptively with Icarus-- not to destroy it but just to weaken it? Would this weaken its attack on the planet, or would it make the DF angrier and the attack worse?

use missiles+tower

[s3ptimous]

If you have level 20 bases on farm, you propably are way into antimatter, SO USE IT.
Make a small ring of plasma cannons near one of the poles, 4 will be enough, 8 will be safer,
then fill them up with antimatter capsules. They will decimate anything that comes close with a really big range.
Have in mind though, they are only for space shooting, nothing closer.

now if u go attack their bases, they will get angry and start attacking. Pretty much the same thing that happens with all ground bases when you attack one of them.

Missiles is the not-so-end-game way to go, they will still do damage, but the ships have to come closer. In that case. you can count on your shields to protect you. They do work good enough if u have bothered to upgrade them. They wont defend you forever ofc, but long enough for your missiles to clear them up

[s3ptimous]

Also, if you have Icarus's slots filled with space units, they will automatically deploy and defend the planet if enemy units come close. Unless ofcourse you disable that, but i believe it to be enabled by default.