[p]Ships are the backbone of power projection in Astro Protocol. They explore the unknown, terraform and colonize planets, protect your network, and ultimately decide the outcome of wars. Every ship is defined not just by raw stats, but by its class, abilities, and intended role.[/p][p]Some ships are built to deal overwhelming damage, while others are designed to withstand sustained fire. Some dominate at long range, while others should avoid combat entirely and focus on scouting and uncovering anomalies.[/p][h2]Ship Stats[/h2][p]Each ship is defined by a set of core stats that determine how it performs in combat, exploration, and positioning. All ships start with 100 hull points and are destroyed when their hull points reach 0.[/p]
[p]Ship Stat[/p]
[p]Description[/p]
[p]Icon[/p]
[p]Damage[/p]
[p] Determines how much damage each individual attack deals. Higher damage is more effective against armored targets, as armor is applied to each attack separately.[/p]
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[p]Attacks[/p]
[p] The number of attacks the ship performs when engaging in combat. Ships with many attacks spread their damage across multiple hits, which makes them less effective against heavy armor.[/p]
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[p]Shield[/p]
[p]A ship’s first line of defense. Shields absorb damage before the hull is affected and fully replenish at the start of each turn.[/p]
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[p]Armor[/p]
[p]Reduces damage taken from each individual attack once shields are depleted. Armor can never reduce an attack below 1 damage.[/p]
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[p]Action Points[/p]
[p]Determine how many actions a ship can perform each turn, such as moving, attacking, or interacting with the environment. Higher action points allow for greater flexibility and mobility.[/p]
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[p]Sensor Range[/p]
[p]Defines how far the ship can detect enemies and reveal unexplored areas of the map.[/p]
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[p]Attack Range[/p]
[p]Determines the maximum distance at which the ship can engage enemies. Attacking from outside an enemy’s attack range prevents counter-attacks.[/p]
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[/p][h2]Ship Classes[/h2][p]Each ship belongs to one of four ship classes, which define its general role and available upgrades: [/p]
[p]Ship Class[/p]
[p]Description[/p]
[p]Icon[/p]
[p]Scout[/p]
[p]Scout class ships are inexpensive, lightly armed vessels focused on exploration, scouting, and colonization. They are well suited for tasks other than combat.[/p]
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[p]Cruiser[/p]
[p]Cruiser class ships are fast and agile combat ships designed to apply pressure and exploit positioning. They can deal significant damage but cannot withstand sustained fire.[/p]
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[p]Battleship[/p]
[p]Battleship class ships are slow, heavily protected warships with strong armor and shields. They excel in direct engagements and prolonged fights.[/p]
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[p]Carrier[/p]
[p]Carrier class ships operate at long range, with extended attack and sensor ranges. Many provide support capabilities that strengthen friendly ships and shape engagements from a distance.[/p]
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[p][/p][p]Some technologies unlock upgrades and abilities that apply only to ships of a specific class, allowing you to specialize your fleet over time.[/p][h2]Combat and Counter-Attacking[/h2][p]When a ship attacks, it performs all of its attacks, each dealing damage independently. Damage is applied to shields first. Once shields are depleted, damage is applied to the hull, with armor reducing the damage of each attack. Armor can never fully negate an attack; every hit that reaches the hull will always deal at least 1 damage.[/p][p]If a ship is attacked inside its attack range and survives the initial strike, it will counter-attack unless it is busy exterminating a planet. Counter-attacks use the defending ship’s full attack profile and are resolved immediately.[/p][p]To attack or counter-attack, a ship must be able to see its target. This requires the target to be within the sensor range of at least one friendly ship during the turn.[/p][p]
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[/p][h2]Tactical Combat and Special Abilities[/h2][p]Combat in Astro Protocol takes place on a one-unit-per-tile hex grid. Only one ship may occupy a tile at a time, making positioning and map control critical.[/p][p]Many ships have special abilities that modify how combat is resolved. These abilities can affect damage, positioning, or counter-attacking rules and often define a ship’s tactical role.[/p][p]For example, the Disruptor ship has the Neutralizing Strike ability, which prevents the attacked unit from counter-attacking any other unit for the rest of the turn.[/p][p]Combat in Astro Protocol is decided as much by positioning and information as by raw firepower. Understanding how positioning, counter-attacks, and ship abilities interact is key to effective combat.[/p][p]
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