Course Notes - Fleets

Ok let’s face the reason you brought this game was to command a huge fleet of Star Destroyers against the rebels (or the other way round you traitors). This section will teach you how to get the most out of your fleets. As the Empire and the rebels have different ships I will split this section in two.

Empire
Your biggest strengths lay on the use of mass tactics. Overwhelming a target with thousands of fighters is a quick way to distract or even destroy on coming enemy forces. If you were defending a planet from attack you would need to concentrate on any Troop ships if you want to keep the rebels from capturing the planet. If the rebels get through your defence fighter screens, it's time to bring in the Capital Ships. Usually the rebels will only attack your planets with a small fleet, except in the cases of Courscant and the Rebel home base. The best composition of a strike fleet at the beginning of the game would be an ISD and a couple of cruisers and enough troops to capture a planet.

Use your Military droid to handle the garrisoning of worlds. He should be able to produce enough troops to protect them against light attacks. But you should reserve 1 or 2 training worlds. You would want to produce assault troops. Don't go for the biggest because most of the enemy resistance you should take care of before you attack the planet with your troops. Once you land your troops make sure you have enough to stop any rebellions that may form (6 regiments should do).

Battle Tactics
Usually if you are outgunned you ought to retreat unless you have an Interdictor Cruiser or they have one, but it will prevent you from running. You should classify the enemy ships into categories of how tough they are to destroy. The toughest should be on the top of the destroy list since it will usually be the only rebel heavy cruiser (i.e. Dauntless, or Bulwark) in the area.

If you have built a Death Star (hopefully you have a shield too) don't forget to use its superlaser, your best bet is to destroy the ship which will pose the most threat. One quick blast from a Death Star can change the outcome of a battle, and you only generally get time for one shot.

Rebellion

The Problem with Rebel ships, is that you have a fairly weak fleet until you have done a bit of research. Your only major ship is the Mon Calamari Cruiser, and they take forever to build.

The Empire starts with a better fleet, so the moment you get someone who can research get them too, you need both Advanced Shipyards to mass-produce your larger warships and access to the larger warships.

The Mon Cal Cruiser can easily stand up to a Star Destroyer, while two Frigates (the first thing researched) can also take down a Star Destroyer but they can also very easily take down starfighters much better than most.

Build up sizable fleets which can take out two ISD's at any time because you may come up against them early in the game, use Hit and Fade techniques with your droid handling all production to make it easier on you. Use your characters to take over the Imperial worlds almost loyal to your cause and systems where you control most of the worlds.

The Alliance may start off with a weaker fleet, that doesn't mean you have to stay that way. 

Battle Tactics
The Empire doesn't get Interdictor Cruisers until late in the game, so use this to your advantage, your X-Wings are more than a match for any Imperial Fighers as the Tie Defenders are quite weak in the game. Use your Y-wings to attack the weaker of the starships and within no time you will have won the battle.

Remember to always send a X-wing Squadron against the Death Star if you can, if you out number their fighters its as good as destroyed.