Game Guide

Learn to Play Age of Space - Complete beginner's guide to Age of Space. Learn how to build, attack, spy, colonize, and dominate the galaxy!

Advanced Combat

Basic combat knowledge gets you through early skirmishes, but dominating the mid-to-late game requires a deep understanding of rapidfire tables, fleet composition theory, and cost-efficiency analysis. This chapter takes your combat skills from competent to expert. You will learn which ships counter which, how to compose fleets for every objective, how to use the battle simulator effectively, and how to calculate whether an attack is profitable before you ever launch. Advanced commanders don't just fight — they fight smart.

Complete Rapidfire Reference

Rapidfire is the single most decisive factor in combat. A ship with rapidfire X against a target fires X times per round instead of once. This means even a small number of the right ship can obliterate a vastly larger fleet of the wrong type. Understanding these matchups is non-negotiable for any serious commander.

The following table shows the most strategically important rapidfire relationships. Memorize these — they determine which ships you build and which battles you win.

Attacker	Target	Rapidfire	Strategic Significance
Cruiser	Light Fighter	6	The classic counter. 50 Cruisers destroy 300+ Light Fighters easily.
Battleship	Cruiser	7	Battleships shred Cruiser fleets. Bring Battleships against Cruiser-heavy enemies.
Bomber	Rocket Launcher	20	Bombers are the anti-defense specialist. Essential for clearing fortified planets.
Bomber	Light Laser	20	Bombers also devastate Light Lasers. Pair Bombers with Battleships for planet assaults.
Destroyer	Battlecruiser	3	Destroyers counter Battlecruisers effectively. Key in late-game fleet battles.
Death Star	Rocket Launcher	250	Death Stars annihilate cheap defenses. A single DS fires 250 times per round.
Death Star	Light Laser	250	Same devastating effect against Light Lasers.
Death Star	Light Fighter	25	Death Stars obliterate Light Fighter screens with ease.
Death Star	Battlecruiser	15	Even heavy combat ships fall to the Death Star's overwhelming rapidfire.
Star Fighter	Battleship	4	Star Fighters are the direct counter to Battleship fleets.

Every ship also has universal rapidfire against Spy Probes (5x) and Solar Satellites (5x). These fragile units are destroyed instantly in any combat and should never be relied upon for defense.

Fleet Composition by Objective

There is no single "best fleet." The optimal composition depends entirely on what you are trying to accomplish. A raiding fleet looks completely different from a fleet designed to destroy an enemy war fleet. Here are the proven compositions for each objective.

	Core Ships	Support Ships	Key Notes
Raiding Inactives	Large Cargos	Light Fighters or Cruisers as escort	Maximize cargo capacity. Escort only if target has minor defense. Speed matters.
Farming Defended Targets	Cruisers + Large Cargos	Bombers if heavy defense	Cruisers handle Light Fighter defense. Add Bombers for Rocket Launcher walls.
Fleet Destruction	Counter-ships to enemy composition	Recyclers for debris	Study enemy fleet via spy report. Build specific counters. Always bring Recyclers.
Clearing Defenses	Bombers + Destroyers	Battleships + Large Cargos for loot	Bombers have 20x RF vs Rocket Launchers. Destroyers handle Heavy Lasers.
Expeditions	Large Cargos + Pathfinder	Light Fighters as shield	Large Cargos maximize resource finds. Some combat ships deter pirates.

Counter-Build Strategy

Every ship type has a natural counter. When you spy an enemy and see their fleet composition, you should build the specific ships that exploit rapidfire advantages against their fleet. This is the rock-paper-scissors of Age of Space combat.

The chain of counters works like this: Light Fighters are countered by Cruisers. Cruisers are countered by Battleships. Battleships are countered by Star Fighters. Star Fighters are vulnerable to Light/Heavy Fighter swarms (which have no RF weakness against them). Bombers are not countered by any specific ship type but are expensive and slow — intercept them before they reach their target.

Enemy Fleet	Your Counter	Why It Works
Light Fighter swarm	Cruisers	6x rapidfire. 50 Cruisers annihilate 300 Light Fighters with minimal losses.
Cruiser fleet	Battleships	7x rapidfire. Battleships are tanky enough to survive Cruiser fire while obliterating them.
Battleship fleet	Star Fighters	Direct counter with strong rapidfire. Star Fighters tear through Battleship armor.
Bomber fleet	Light/Heavy Fighters	Bombers have no RF against Fighters. Swarm them with cheap ships to overwhelm.
Heavy defense (RL, LL)	Bombers + Destroyers	Bombers have 20x RF vs Rocket Launchers, 20x vs Light Lasers. Destroyers handle the rest.
Death Star	Destroyer swarm + Light Fighters	Destroyers deal heavy damage. Light Fighters absorb Death Star shots as shields.

Using the Battle Simulator

The Battle Simulator is your most important pre-battle tool. It lets you input both fleets (and defenses) with technology levels and run hundreds of simulated battles to predict the outcome probability, expected losses, and potential profit.

Never attack without simulating first. Even experienced players simulate every engagement because small changes in fleet composition or tech levels can flip the outcome from a profitable raid to a devastating loss.

Spy the target first. Get their exact fleet, defense, and technology levels from the spy report.
Open the Battle Simulator from the Tools menu.
Enter the defender's fleet, defenses, and technology levels (Weapons, Shield, Armour) exactly as shown in the spy report.
Enter your attacking fleet and your technology levels.
Run the simulation. Review the win percentage, average attacker losses, average defender losses, and expected loot.
Calculate profit: Expected Loot + Debris Value - Expected Ship Losses = Profit or Loss.

A 95%+ win rate with losses under 10% of your fleet value is a safe attack. A 70-90% win rate means high variance — you might win big or lose big. Below 70% win rate, do not attack unless the potential loot justifies the risk.

Combat Math Deep Dive

Understanding the exact damage formulas lets you predict battle outcomes without the simulator. Each combat round follows a precise sequence.

Effective Attack = Base_Attack * (1 + 0.1 * Weapons_Tech)

Each level of Weapons Technology adds 10% to a unit's base attack power.

Effective Shield = Base_Shield * (1 + 0.1 * Shield_Tech)

Each level of Shielding Technology adds 10% to base shield strength. Shields regenerate fully each round.

Hull Points = (Base_Titanium_Cost / 10) * (1 + 0.1 * Armour_Tech)

Hull equals 10% of the Titanium cost, modified by Armour Technology. When hull drops below 70%, the unit is at risk of destruction.

The bounce rule: if a shot's attack power is less than 1% of the target's shield, the shot is completely absorbed with zero damage. This makes small ships ineffective against heavily shielded targets like Shield Domes.

Each round, all surviving units fire simultaneously, then damage is applied, then destroyed units (hull below 30% = always destroyed, 30-70% = probability check) are removed. Shields regenerate, and the next round begins.

Fleet Value Analysis

Every ship represents a resource investment. Before committing your fleet to battle, calculate its total value — this is what you stand to lose.

Fleet value equals the sum of all ship costs (Titanium + Graphene + Deuterium) for every ship in the fleet. A fleet of 100 Cruisers costs 2,000,000 Titanium + 700,000 Graphene + 200,000 Deuterium = 2,900,000 total resources.

The golden rule of profitable combat: Expected Loot + Recyclable Debris > Expected Ship Losses. If the math does not work, find a better target. Patient commanders who only take profitable fights grow faster than aggressive commanders who attack everything.

Profit = Loot + (0.3 * Destroyed_Ships_Ti + 0.3 * Destroyed_Ships_Gr) - Your_Ship_Losses

Calculate expected profit by adding loot and recycled debris, then subtracting the value of ships you expect to lose.

Cost-Efficiency Ranking

Not all ships provide equal combat power per resource spent. Understanding cost-efficiency helps you build the most effective fleet for your budget.

Ship	Total Cost	Attack	Attack/Cost Ratio	Best Used For
Light Fighter	6,000	50	High	Cannon fodder, absorbing shots, early game raids
Cruiser	29,000	400	Very High	Anti-LF, versatile combat, farming
Battleship	75,000	1,000	High	Anti-Cruiser, fleet backbone, heavy combat
Bomber	100,000	1,000	Medium	Anti-defense specialist, planet assault
Destroyer	120,000	2,000	High	Heavy combat, anti-Battlecruiser
Death Star	10,000,000	200,000	Low	Overwhelming force, endgame dominance, deterrence

Advanced Combat Tips

Always Simulate Before Attacking

No matter how experienced you are, always run the battle simulator. A single tech level difference or an unexpected ship type can completely change the outcome. The 30 seconds spent simulating can save you millions of resources.

Never Attack Without Rapidfire Advantage

If you do not have rapidfire advantage against the majority of the enemy fleet, reconsider the attack. Rapidfire is the multiplier that turns close battles into decisive victories. Build the counter-ships before attacking.

Diversify Your Fleet

A fleet of only one ship type is vulnerable to its counter. Mix ship types: Light Fighters as ablative shield, Cruisers for anti-fighter, Battleships for heavy damage, and Bombers if expecting defenses.

Always Bring Recyclers

Every battle produces debris worth 30% of all destroyed ships. Send Recyclers with your attack fleet (they will arrive at the same time) to collect the debris before the defender can. This significantly improves your profit margin.

In the late game, fleet composition converges toward mixed fleets with Destroyers, Battlecruisers, and Bombers as the backbone, supported by Light Fighters as shields and Large Cargos for loot. Death Stars are used sparingly due to their extreme cost but provide unmatched firepower.

The theoretical optimal endgame attack fleet against a balanced defender consists of approximately: 30% Destroyers (raw damage), 25% Battlecruisers (durability + RF), 20% Bombers (anti-defense), 15% Light Fighters (shield), 10% Large Cargos (loot). Adjust ratios based on the specific defender composition.

Death Star strategies: A single Death Star can clear an entire defense grid due to its massive rapidfire. However, it is slow and expensive. Use Death Stars when you have absolute numerical superiority and the target cannot flee. Against fleets, Death Stars are best paired with a large fighter screen to absorb incoming fire.

Moon destruction attacks (Mission 9) use Death Stars to attempt to destroy enemy moons. This is an endgame strategy to remove an enemy's Phalanx-immune fleetsave points. The success chance depends on the moon's size and your Death Star count.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no single best ship. Each ship has a role. Cruisers are the best all-around mid-game ship with excellent rapidfire and cost-efficiency. Destroyers dominate late-game fleet battles. Bombers are irreplaceable for clearing defenses. The "best" ship is whichever counters your current enemy.

The battle simulator runs multiple iterations internally, so a single simulation gives you a probability-based result. However, if the win rate is between 60-90%, consider running the simulation multiple times or adjusting your fleet by 10-20% to see how small changes affect the outcome.

Only if the expected loot plus recycled debris exceeds the value of the ships you lose. Calculate your fleet's 30% loss value and compare it to the expected gain. If the profit margin is positive and significant, the attack may be worthwhile. If it is marginal, find a safer target.

Each level of Weapons, Shield, and Armour Technology adds 10% to the respective base stat. At level 10, your ships have double their base combat stats. Tech advantages compound significantly — even 2-3 tech levels above your opponent can turn a close battle into an easy win.

Build Orders Next Chapter: Advanced Fleetsave