From IGwiki

Combat is an automated process that occurs when one of three things happens:

• you accept a duel
• you launch an attack against an enemy system
• you encounter an enemy patrol while reconnoitering an enemy system.

While it is an automated system, the outcome is determined by luck and decisions you made before the battle. To help you, the process and the different factors are explained below.

Contents 1 How a Battle works 1.1 Rounds 1.2 Phases 1.2.1 Command 1.2.2 Movement 1.2.3 Combat 1.3 Victory 2 What affects the outcome of Battle? 2.1 Rank 2.2 Proficiencies 2.3 Uniform 2.4 Tactical settings 2.5 Ship Type 2.6 Module Quality 2.7 Module Tek 2.8 What do the different Teks do? 2.8.1 Which enemies use which Tek? 3 The different forms of Battle 3.1 Duelling 3.1.1 What doesn't count 3.1.2 What counts 3.2 Recon 3.3 Wormhole 3.4 Fleet Battles

[edit] How a Battle works

The battle is divided into rounds, which are further divided in phases.

[edit] Rounds

There are three rounds. At the end of each round, if you have taken damage, you get awarded a card from the appropriate combat deck for each point of damge you took.

At this point the system checks your tactical settings. If you have reached one of the critical points (either for ship damage, personal injury or number of enemies), you or your opponents flee.

It is then judged who won the round.

If one of your fleet-cousins flees, their opponents are then spread around the rest of the fleet (i.e., to you and the remaining fleet-cousins) to face in the next round.

[edit] Phases

Each round is divided into three phases:

• Command
• Movement
• Combat

At the start of each phase, the different bonuses for each phase is calculated, as are the tactical setting for each unit. This affects the cards drawn during that phase (see Battle Decks for list of cards and their impact)

[edit] Command

Bonuses from:

• Proficiency (Command)
• Uniform (Field Uniform)
• Module (Bridge)

[edit] Movement

Bonuses from:

• Proficiency (Engineering)
• Uniform (Engineering Utility Suit)
• Module (Engine)

[edit] Combat

Bonuses from:

• Proficiency (Gunnery)
• Uniform (Ship Suit)
• Module (Weapon)

[edit] Victory

The process repeats until the third round. It is then judged whether you won the combat (it is described as narrow victory/defeat, victory/defeat, or crushing victory defeat). This result, and whether the fleet is victorious or not, is added to your fleet-cousins results.

If your fleet is the winner, you get to draw victory cards (again, see Battle Decks).

Regardless of whether your fleet won, you may also win medals.

[edit] What affects the outcome of Battle?

The most obvious factor is luck, as there is a random factor in every battle. However, there are others.

[edit] Rank

The higher ranked prince enjoys a +2 per difference in rank bonus during each combat phase (fleet battles only).

[edit] Proficiencies

See here for more information on proficiencies.

[edit] Uniform

If you have the correct type of uniform, it can avoid damage or give you bonuses. See the uniform entry for more information.

[edit] Tactical settings

See the flagship entry for information on how to set your tactical settings. You can also Recommended Tactical Settings for ideas on how to customise these settings from a post on the forums by Grand Admiral Xradan Odhrtz.

[edit] Ship Type

If your flagship is all of the same Tek, you get a bonus to each phase.

[edit] Module Quality

Each phase is associated with a different part of your flagship. The higher the quality of this module, the better you are likely to do in that phase of combat.

[edit] Module Tek

Lastly, the Tek of the Module (compared to your opponents module) can give you a bonus.

[edit] What do the different Teks do?

Like a game of rock, paper, scissors each Tek has an advantage over one other Tek:

• PsiTek is stronger than BiTek
• BiTek is stronger than MekTek
• MekTek is stronger than PsiTek

The effect of having a module with a Tek advantage over the corresponding module in your opponent's ship is to provide a +2 advantage during the relevant phase of a combat round.

[edit] Which enemies use which Tek?

• Criminal - random Tek
• Rebel - mostly MekTek
• Naknuk Seccessionists - always BiTek
• Sad-Eyes - almost always PsiTek
• Mrouzh rebels - random Tek
• Deaders - mostly MekTek

[edit] The different forms of Battle

As it says at the start, Battle occurs in three situations, and they are all slightly different.

[edit] Duelling

Individual princes battle each other for honour and prizes.

[edit] What doesn't count

• Rank (superior ranking prince does not get the +2 per difference in rank that applies in combat)
• Ship Tek (you do not get a bonus or a penalty if your ship's Tek is different from your opponent's)

[edit] What counts

The challenger enjoys a slight advantage in that ties and declines both count as wins for the challenger, losses to the challenged. The challenged enjoys a slight advantage in that s/he gets to choose when the duel takes place.

Duels are three rounds of three phases per round, identical to fleet battles EXCEPT there are no bonuses/penalties for rank or ship Tek. Duel outcome is based on:

• Flagship quality (Imperial Guard, Special Issue, or Standard)
• One Tek
• Proficiencies
• Uniform
• Roll of one six-sided die

[edit] Recon

You fly alone into an enemy system to scout it and the surrounding systems. If you encounter an enemy fleet (increasingly likely as the colour scheme goes towards red), you must fight them without the aid of your fleet. The number or level of the enemy system you've chosen to battle or reconnoitre determines the maximum number of enemy ships you will face (e.g., a rank two system will have a maximum of four). You won't always face the maximum, but it's not something to count on. Whether you face the maximum may be influenced by the colour of that system. The level will also determine how strong each member of the enemy fleet will be. The enemy fleet with be composed of at least one unit of the system level (the commander), and the rest will either be of the same level or lower. The composition could again be affected by the colour of the system. High-ranking enemy units have higher proficiencies.

[edit] Wormhole

Wormhole is a Recon where the level of the enemies is unknown.

[edit] Fleet Battles

In this, your fleet matches off against an enemy fleet. The number or level of the enemy system you've chosen to battle or reconnoitre determines the maximum number of enemy ships you will face (e.g., a rank two system will have a maximum of four). You won't always face the maximum, but it's not something to count on. Whether you face the maximum may be influenced by the colour of that system. The level will also determine how strong each member of the enemy fleet will be. The enemy fleet with be composed of at least one unit of the system level (the commander), and the rest will either be of the same level or lower. The composition could again be affected by the colour of the system. High-ranking enemy units have higher proficiencies. The combat system will have units of approximately the same levels in combat (e.g., the Commanders always fight each other).