Orkulus Star Base

Vasari Orkulus Star Base Cost: 2575 310 325 Build Time: Varies seconds.   Hull: 3000 Armor: 6 Shields: 2000 Antimatter: 0   Shortcut: (Q)

The mobile Orkulus Star Base fills its role as the Vasari's Star Base. It is unique in the fact that it is built by the Jarun Migrator, instead of having its own dedicated Star Base Construction Cruiser; unfortunately, it costs more, as a result. With the need to constantly run from their unknown threat, the Orkulus has been made mobile by its creators, allowing it to fly about its gravity well, albeit slowly.

Upgrades

Like all Starbases, the Orkulus has a limit of 8 upgrades, and can choose from a large selection:

• Assault Systems (3 levels): adds additional weapons to the Orkulus. By default, the Orkulus has pulse weapons. The first upgrade will add "disintegration" weapons that are particularly effective against larger targets like capital ships, structures, or other starbases. The second level will add phase missile weapons. The third level will increase the damage of all existing weapons systems and allow it to target more enemy units at one time.
• Defensive Enhancements (4 levels): increases the hull, shield, and armor points of the Vasari starbase.
• Squadron Facilities (3 levels): enables the Vasari starbase to support strike craft. The first upgrade allows for 4 squads, the second upgrade allows 8 squads, and the final upgrade allows 14.
• Enforced Loyalty (1 level): prevents the loss of planet due to bombardment. The enemy can still bombard it to reduce its population, but they cannot destroy it. All starbases have an upgrade to this effect. You must research this upgrade first (Requires 2 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
• Merchant Cargo Bays (1 level): adds a Trade Port to the Vasari starbase which produces more income than a regular trade port. You must research this upgrade first (Requires 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
• Colony Pods (2 levels): adds 50 population, equivalent to 1.25 credits per second, to the starbase per level of upgrade. The trade port upgrade will always produce more money than this; however colony pods are still a way of augmenting income. You must research this upgrade first (Requires 3 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
• Debris Vortex (2 levels): adds an antimatter reserve to the Orkulus and allows use of this special ability. The starbase can literally absorb the wreckage of recently destroyed ships (friendly or enemy) to restore hull points to itself. You must research this upgrade first (Requires 4 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
• Phase Stabilizer (1 levels): adds an antimatter reserve to the Orkulus and enables it to become a temporary Phase Stabilizer. It can be used as either a departure point or a destination, but you will need another phase stabilizer on the other side to use it. You must research this upgrade first (Requires 6 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)
• Frontal Deflector Shield (2 levels): adds an antimatter reserve to the Orkulus and enables it to activate frontal deflectors, greatly decreasing the damage it takes from enemies attacking it from the front. You must research this upgrade first (Requires 5 Lirtestra Weapons Labs)

Tactics

Because the Orkulus can move, it is not possible to attack it from outside of its range. However, unlike the TEC and Advent starbases, it lacks any uncapped area of effect abilities. Using Meteor Storm or Safety Override Protocol , the Advent or TEC starbases can deal massive (potentially lethal) damage to an entire fleet. The Vasari starbase has no such ability, which means that no matter how heavily upgraded it is, there's always a fleet that's large enough to simply overpower it. However, this doesn't make it any easier to try to overwhelm a heavily upgraded Orkulus.

Fortunately, the starbase moves at a snail's pace, and one of the best ways to beat it is simply to attack it with bombers while running in circles around the gravity well. The Orkulus will never catch up, and the bombers will eventually defeat it. The Vasari player can counter this by sending units to support their starbase.

Again, like the Argonev and Transcencia Star Bases, the time it takes to construct an Orkulus depends on where it's built. The Fortification Tree can increase the rate at which the Orkulus upgrades once 4 or more Lirtestra Weapons Labs have been built.

Assault Systems	Defensive Enhancements	Squadron Facilities	Merchant Cargo Bays	Enforced Loyalty
Colony Pods	Debris Vortex	Frontal Deflector Shield	Phase Stabilizer Arrays

Frontal Deflector Shield	Debris Vortex	Stabilize Phase Space (Orkulus)	Jump Destabilization	Upgrade Star Base
Attack	Stop	Move	Tactics Management	Squadron Management