Strike Craft are a critical component of a balanced fleet. They come in two main flavors, fighter and bomber.
Fighters are primarily defensive. They are most weak to Anti-Strike Craft frigates and other fighters, as well as some abilities. They automatically target the things they kill best. In order of targeting, these are;
- Bombers
- Fighters
- Long range frigates
- Planetary bombardment craft
- Other spacecraft
- Tactical structures
- Civilian structures
Fighter craft can be deployed from anything that has a Strike Craft slot. They are also effective at destroying mines.
Bombers are primarily offensive. Their job is to kill large targets. Nothing is as effective as a large bomber swarm at killing Capital Ships and Starbases. However, they are very weak and easy to kill if the enemy has any sort of anti-strike craft on the field, like fighters, anti-strike craft frigates, or some abilities.
All Strike Craft are manufactured at no cost aboard the ship that carries them. If the Carrier ship is under attack, Strike Craft Production is reduced to 50%.
Since Strike Craft are so cheap, it is common to see them employed in hit and run raids early in the game. A few carrier cruisers with bombers are deployed to a hostile gravity well, they cause as much damage as they can, and then they run as soon as hostiles arrive. This tactic is effectivly countered by a single orbital hangar with fighter craft or by a standing garrison of a few basic frigates. Do not mistake this for a bad strategy simply because it can be easily countered, the loss of a few structures early in the game can deterimine the course of the rest of the game.
It is possible to use a fleet based entirely on Strike Craft and Carrier Cruisers to great effect. However, this fleet will fall to pieces the instant the enemy manages to get within striking distance. The only hope of such a fleet is to lure the enemy in circles around the gravity well. The tactic has a better chance of working in large gravity wells, such as that of the Stars. If the enemy is any sort of competent he will cut the circle and to get at the Carriers.
Strike Craft are too small for any but the lightest guns to hit them, but they have no problem hitting larger targets. If your Strike Craft succeed in eliminating most of the enemy's Strike Craft, you'll have a major edge in the rest of the battle.
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