Sins of a Solar Empire
Sins of a Solar Empire
Advertisement
Ability User: Halcyon Carrier
Ability Type: Active
Target: Targets enemy strikecraft.
Antimatter Cost: 90
Cooldown Time: 10
Duration: 15
Range: 4200
Effect(s):
  • Damage: 20 -> 29 -> 37 -> 46
  • Max speed: 25% -> 45% -> 66% ->86%
  • Acceleration: 25% -> 45% -> 66% -> 86%

Note: Values in table are current as of Patch 1.90.

An active ability that throws enemy strike craft away from the carrier and reduces their maximum speed and acceleration for the duration.

Tactics[]

Telekinetic Push is the Advent's primary anti-strike craft crowd control ability, and is a must-have against large swarms of hostile bombers that can inflict severe damage before fighters are able to kill them. The ability sends out a telekinetic burst from the Halcyon that pushes all hostile strike craft within range away from the ship (similar to the Iconus Guardian's Repulsion ability against larger ships), while also dealing physical damage. It is not very effective at killing strike craft by itself, but it can prevent them from attacking and make destroying them easier. Note that bombers directly attacking the Halcyon may be able to close in and fire their weapons before the ability activates on autocast.

Note that the damage listed in the tooltip is the absolute value, not a percentage. While low, individual strike craft's health pools are generally in the tens to low hundreds, so at higher levels the ability can significantly damage them. (Particularly considering that strike craft are not shielded at all and therefore do not benefit from any mitigation, and their armor tends to be minimal.) However, even at maximum level, a single cast can only destroy the Advent Fighter, the individually weakest strike craft, and then only if the enemy has no or minimal hull and armor upgrades (which is unlikely to be the case by the time you have maximum-level Telekinetic Push). A Vasari Bomber (the toughest strike craft) can, with upgrades, withstand up to 4 successive maximum-level casts without being destroyed.

The real value of the ability is thus not destroying strike craft en masse, but rather, blunting swarm attacks and leaving enemy strike craft exposed to your defenses. At maximum level, the speed reduction is so severe that the strike craft are nearly disabled. You will still need adequate anti-fighter defenses to make use of this opening, though. However, if necessary, the carrier's "ultimate" ability, Anima Tempest, can generate a large swarm of (temporary) fighters instantly, and with enhanced durability to boot. (Provided the carrier's normal squadron assignment is set to all or mostly fighters, as Anima Tempest divides extra strike craft evenly among the carrier's existing squadrons.)

Advertisement