Introduction: Why Is This Guide?
Why does this guide exist?
A few friends in my gaming group, Gopher, were interested in Nebulous: Fleet Command and have been playing the game for a few months at the time this guide was written.
While Gopher took to the game's "default" faction, the Shelter Alliance's(ANS) more intuitive ships well, they had a lot of questions on how the game's second faction, the Outlying Systems Protectorate (OSP) worked. That said, they were a little intimidated by OSP, and asked for some more insight into how each ship in the faction functioned.
So, I decided to write a guide that gives a swath of builds and a little explanation as to each OSP ship and their role in the fleet. Over time, it grew and I thought I'd share it with the wider Nebulous community.
These builds are not "the best" at the time of writing a month past the carrier update, nor do I claim them to be. Instead, they are a meant to be a starting point for my gaming group, or any other OSP-curious player, to get acquainted with each OSP ship and its capabilities, as well as the unique tools of the faction as a whole.
To be clear on what this guide is and isn't, I've made a helpful list below.
This guide is An introduction to the different OSP ships and their common builds.
A starting point for OSP-curious players to experiment and learn OSP.
A reference to determine what OSP ships can do at a glance.
it is NOT: A list of the most efficient or effective builds possible.
A final say on how people should or shouldn't play OSP.
The answer to life, the universe, and everything.
With that said, I hope it helps OSP-curious players dive in and try OSP!
OSP Strengths
Strengths
Hardpoint EfficencyOSP can do a lot with a little when it comes to hardpoints. Their guns and roll-off missile launchers have deep magazines, flexible ammunition choices, and don’t rely on internal ship upgrades as much as their ANS counterparts.
As a result, OSP ships gain a few distinct advantages.
OSP Small ships are generally more flexible and capable than their ANS counterparts.
OSP Large ships can “double down” on weapon mounts to host a terrifying amount of firepower.
OSP Ships can engage a wider selection of targets for minimal points investment.
Because OSP gets so much out of each weapon mount, OSP's ships often can afford to equip a hardpoint or two to make use of their second greatest strength.
Superior Static Sensors OSP has access to two very strong static sensors: the R550 Early Warning Radar (EWR), and the R400 Bloodhound Long-Range Tracking Radar (LRTR). These sensors:
Detect the enemy fleet from across the map. (R550 EWR)
Give an accurate command track at ~12km. (R400 LRTR)
Broadcast a signal that is near-immune to jamming. (Both)By understanding these tools, an OSP player like you can start to form the OSP gameplan.
The gameplan:In general, OSP uses their static sensors to detect the enemy, sends capable small craft to secure the pockets of space, and then deploy their large weapon platforms to eliminate the large and armored enemy threats.
For example:
An OSP commander deploys their R550 EWR to cover a portion of the map with vision. Then, they leverage their small craft like the Ferryman, Draugr or Flathead to destroy skirmishing ANS scouts. Multi-Mission Draugrs and Warp-drive Marauders to respond quickly to threats, and, when an Axeford or Solomon appears, the OSP commander locks-on to these threats with the R400 LRTR before engaging them with up-gunned Flathead monitors, Marauder freighters, or salvo them from range with Moorline container liners.
When OSP ships are working in concert, in mutually supportive roles, there’s very little ANS can do. The key takeaway is that OSP is strongest when multiple ships work in concert, with each ship doing its part to augment the battlefleet’s strengths and eliminate or mitigate their weaknesses.
In the next section, we will look to understand those weaknesses.
OSP Weaknesses
While OSP ships come with considerable strengths, they have some limitations. Understanding these limitations and how they interact with the faction as a whole will help prospective OSP players avoid frustration, develop OSP-specific strategies, and have fun.
Weakness 1: Lack of armor
In general, OSP ships do not have armor* The longer a ship spends staring down an ANS ship, the less the odds are in OSP's favor.HE shells will disable key weapons and components from your ship quickly. The longer the fight goes on, the faster your ships will degrade. The exception is the Flathead*, but its internal configuration makes it very brittle.
That’s not to say that OSP ships are inherently fragile: OSP ships can reach surprising levels of durability. A Marauder can take so much damage control that it’ll quickly repair anything but a torpedo hit, and a Flathead can repel an impressive amount of fire for its size, but, as a general rule: the longer a ship spends staring down an ANS ship, the less the odds are in OSP's favor.
To mitigate this weakness, follow these guidelines1) Break contact.
OSP’s guns deal more damage in a shorter timeframe. Empty the magazines into the enemy ship, fire off a salvo from roll-off missile launcher, then break contact to reload. A jammer can break contact while in open space and give time for your ship to evade behind a rock or get out of range to avoid ANS’s return fire. 2) Deal a knock-out blow.
Marauders, Moorlines, and Flatheads can be kitted out to deal crippling blows with a single salvo. A Marauder can bring x32 100mm barrels to bear and ventilate a raines-class frigate, an array of Flatheads can red a Vauxhaul in a few salvos of 600mm HESH, a single rocket shuttle can kill a keystone with one good rocket run. 3) Strike in a way ANS can’t return fire.
OSP’s static sensors allows exceptionally accurate tracks at range. Coordinating passive sensors with ranged ordinance from from containers moorlines, mass-driver marauders, or missile-boating Flatheads can deal significant damage from over 12km away. Likewise, ambushing the ANS force with close-range ordinance like mines or rockets can cripple high-priority threats before they get a chance to return fire. While OSP’s weakness to a sustained fight can be mitigated by the above guidelines, an OSP commander will need to know where the ANS ships are, which brings us to OSP's second weakness.
Weakness2: Weak(er) EWAR
Good Bloodhound, bad everything else. Aside from the static sensor arrays of the E550 or the E400 Bloodhound, OSP is significantly outclassed in the sensor war. Without static sensors, OSP, players will quickly find that they struggle to keep parity with the EWAR capability of their ANS counterparts.
Overall, OSP suffers from these major EWAR weaknesses OSP’s internal radars are inferior to their ANS counterparts in both track quality and detection range.
OSP does not have ELINT passive radar detection modules.
OSP has much more limited offensive jamming capabilities.
OSP's static sensors give off a large, easy-to-target signatures.
When not using static sensor arrays, ANS will always see you before you see them.
And so is the puzzle of OSP: Your weapons are devastating when catching the ANS off-guard, however, your tools to find and catch the ANS off-guard are limited to static, fragile emplacements or less capable than the Opfor's. Solving this juxtaposition is the main task you’ll have as an OSP commander. If you master it, you’ll become a fearsome OSP admiral.
But, while you are here learning, I'll give you a place to start:
To mitigate this weakness, OSP can do the following
Make use of redundant static sensor arrays. Fight in or near EWR envelopes, and always have a Bloodhound LRTR on-hand. Find and make use of attack-vectors that do not require long lines of sight. Within 8km, the playing field evens out when it comes to internal radars.Use OSP's small ship’s exceptional capabilities to eliminate ANS Skirmishers and scouts. While not as stealthy, OSP's skirmishers are more versatile and contain more firepower than ANS's. Use OSP's unique tech.Specifically the EWR and Bloodhound, but more on this in the “curveball” section.
A good OSP player uses their strong passive sensors to find enemy scouts, the raw attacking capability of their Draugr and Ferryman skirmishers to eliminate the opposition force’s eyes, and using the opfor’s newly-created blindspots to maneuver the OSP strike-force up for a decisive blow.
In the next section, I'll review each hull and offer three different builds as a starting point for each.
Ships And Roles: Terminology
Ships in nebulous can be kitted out to fufill many roles. To help break down break down each loadout into knowledge, I’ve made a few basic tags below. Each loadout I introduce will be tagged with one or more of the descriptive tags below. This is to give an idea of how each ship functions at a glance, and in a way that's more granular and approachable than a "backline ship" or "frontline ship."
Roles
[Sensor]: This ship can equip one or more of OSP’s main static sensors. A tag of [Sensor: LRTR] means that this ship can track targets at long range using the R400 Bloodhound tracking radar.
[Scout]: This ship’s signature is small enough and radar sensitive enough to detect ANS scout ships at *almost* the same time they detect you, assuming the ANS player did not take stealth upgrades like prowler drives.
[Duel]: This ship has a good chance at killing the ship in this tag in a one-on-one fight. A designation of [Duel: Keystone-] indicates that this ship can destroy or cripple a Keystone-sized ship or below in a one-on-one fight in the right tactical situation.
[Swarm]: This loadout likes to be spammed and attack the enemy in one big ball of similar ships. Note that each swarm ship may have small variations to include things like jammers or different kinds of PD.
[Salvo]: This loadout can launch a massive barrage within a short span of time. A tag of [Salvo: Axeford-Solomon] means that this salvo is best used against Axefords or Solomons.
[Tank]: This loadout can take a lot of damage for its class and will require heavy firepower from your opponent to disable or remove quickly.
[Slow]:This loadout is slow, and has trouble responding to threats from unexpected directions.
[Fast]: This loadout is fast, and can quickly reposition to respond to threats on the battlefield.
[EWAR]: This loadout can use jammers, huntress burnthrough capability, or illuminators to win the electronic battle.
[Anti-craft]: This loadout is exceptionally good against strikecraft like fighters and bombers.
[Tech]: This ship does something unique and powerful, but often needs support of another fleet asset to make use of it.
The Draugr Tug: Multi-Misson Tug
The Draugr tugboat is OSP’s most flexible craft. It can wield a considerable amount of firepower or utility for its size and cost. Likewise, the Draugr Tug's builds are just as varied. It can be a powerful skirmisher Multi-Mission Tug, a mobile EWR and Bloodhound Sensor Tug, or take a frontline role and attack ANS head-on in a swarm.
First, the Multi-Mission Tug, or MMT.
Loadout 1: Multi-Mission Tug (MMT)[Scout], [Fast], [Duel: Keystone-,], [EWAR]
What it does The MMT gives vision along your fleet’s flanks, finds and destroys ANS scouts, and provides EWAR support with a bellbird jammer and burn-through capability from it’s huntress radar. Take the MMT When You want a strong, flexible, and fast skirmishing craft in the game to scout and secure your team’s flanks. The Loadout Mounting MT1: C30 Cannon
MT2: J15 'Bellbird' Jammer
MT3: MLS-2 Launcher
MT4: VLS-1-23 Launcher
MT5: RF44 'Pinpoint' RadarCompartments CMP1: Reinforced CIC
CMP2: Large DC Locker
CMP3: EMPTY
CMP4: EMPTY
CMP5: Reinforced MagazineModules MOD1: BW800-R Drive
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: Bulkwark Huntress
MOD4: Adaptive Radar Receiver
Would you like to know more?The multi-mission tug, or MMT, is the star of the OSP fleet. With a huntress radar and adaptive radar receiver, it will detect all but the most careful or most stealthy sprinter corvettes. Likewise, the MMT can lock and fire up to four command-guided missiles into any spyglass frigate or scouting corvette that extends too far from the main fleet. Even after missiles are expended, the pinpoint radar will make sure the MMT’s gunfire is accurate.
How to play: Use the MMT to patrol the flanks of the map and screen for enemy vessels and sensor craft like SEWACS. When one gets close, Flicker on the Bellbrid jammer to mask the MMT's attack, close to 6.5km lock with your pinpoint radar and attack with a salvo of four CMD-guided missiles.
Or, if the engagement isn't favorable, turn the jammer onto mask the MMT as it backs off and fades into the void. Once the jammer comes on, the ANS will have to flip a coin to guess if your MMT is trying to get closer or if it’s retreating away.
After the initial stages of the battle, the MMT can continue to scout, support the main strike-force with jamming and burnthrough, or return to guard control points from back-cappers.
You can swap the S2 Rolloff launcher for an S3 Rolloff or a TALS-2 launcher. Each of these has various tradeoffs in the tug's firepower.
While learning OSP, I recommend including one MMT in every fleet, as it’s a microcosm of how OSP works in one elegant little box.
The Draugr Tug: Sensor Tug
While the MMT operates solo, the Sensor Tug works with other elements of the fleet.
Sensor Tug[Sensor: All] [Fast].
What it does: Sees nearly everything within its EWR and provides an accurate track with its LRTR. Take this when: You need to detect the enemy, lock targets for the longer-range guns, or counter ANS’s Jamming.
LoadoutMounts: MT1: R400 Bloodhound LRT Radar
MT2 R550 Early Warning Radar
MT3: Empty
MT4: Empty
MT5: VLS-1-23 LauncherCompartment CMP1: Basic CIC
CMP2: Small DC Locker
CMP3: Plant Control Center
CMP4: Plant Control Center
CMP5: Plant Control CenterModules MOD1: BW800 Drive
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: Track Correlator
MOD4: Track Correlator
Would you like to know more?The simple sensor tug solves the two big issues for OSP. “How can I see stuff?” and “How can I accurately see stuff?” For under 400 points, the sensor tug can sweep a sector of the black with the Early-Warning Radar before tracking said contact with the Bloodhound LRT radar. With the two Track Correlators, the LRT gives a radar track with under-20m accuracy error, and an under 1m/s velocity error.
When you have this little guy posted up behind your fleet, OSP will magically seem easier when ANS wanders under your sensor umbrella before, and that’s the point. Just, be warned, IF ANS detects this thing they will want to kill it, so if you see a salvo of missiles slowly snaking their way toward the sensor tug, it EMCON to stop the sensors, drop some chaff, and reposition to turn the radar on again.
I recommend including one of these tugs when starting as OSP. The one-note nature of the design will let you focus on the fundamentals of where and how to uses OSP’s sensors, as well as start to understand how to protect them from a determined ANS player.
After some practice, you can drop either the bloodhound or the EWR and kit the tug out to have more multi-role capability, or diversify the sensor responsibilities across different vessels in the fleet.
The Draugr Tug: Torpedo Tug
Torpedo Tug[Fast] [Swarm] [Salvo: Vauxhaul-] , [Duel: Keystone-]
When swarming: [Salvo: All] [Tank]
What it does: Swarms and overwhelms the ANS frontline. While each tug will explode into confetti when faced with a 450mm or 250mm gun, a formation of eight, nine, or ten.
Take this when: You want to frontline, but don’t want to put many points into one expensive basket.
Mounts:
MT 1: C53 Cannon
MT2: MSL-3 Launcher
MT3: MSL-3 Launcher
MT 4: P11 Pavise PDT (or other)
MT 5: P11 Pavaise PDT.(or other)
Compartments
CMP 1: Reinforced CIC (Or Basic CIC)
CMP 2 Large DC Locker
CMP 3: EMPTY
CMP 4: EMPTY
CMP 5: Bulk Magazine
Modules:
MOD 1: BW800-R Drive.
MOD 2: Civilian Reactor
MOD 3: Ithaca Bridgemaster
MOD 4: Empty
Would you like to know more?While each tug will explode into confetti when faced with a 450mm or 250mm gun, S3H flex missile, or beam. But, a formation of eight, nine, or ten tugs fixes the tug's durability issue and allows a swarm of them to pack a punch.Each tug, firing four torpedoes apiece, will give a salvo weight of 32 torpedoes backed up by x32 250mm shells. You’ll get that alpha-strike off once, maybe twice before the magazine runs dry or your tugs start exploding. But, by that point, hopefully, ANS will have as well. From there, the remaining tugs can scrap it out and create confusion, letting the OSP team engage and destroy whatever the tugs missed.
When all the tugs are swarming in one big tug ball formation, they act as one super ship, and gain the benefit of all their mounts together. Tug swarms also have the advantage of being able to split and sail towards many different capture points when the fights is over. So, as a general plan, blob them together, work with the team to defeat the ANS fleet, and then split the remaining tugs up to capture or guard the renaming cap points.
Another good thing about using a swarm of craft is that each tug can easily be tweaked and tinkered with in the ship editor to tune the fleet without having to re-design an entire ship or strike force. If you have enough point-defense or MSL-3’s, try replacing a few with pinpoint radars, jammers, or VLS-1 launchers to round out your fleet’s weaknesses.
Finally, note that the location of the reinforced drive is swapped with the reactor. Doing so makes the tug considerably more resilient, as the reinforced drive can help tank some damage. It’s a neat little trick that can buy the tug one, two, or three more hits before succumbing to enemy fire. It's not limited to the tug, other OSP and ANS ships make use of the 'drive-swap.'
The Ferryman Clipper: The Jamshuttle
Like the Tug, the Ferryman can fill a variety of roles in a fleet. From EWAR support, to capturing far-off-points, to an ambush-striker that catches and kills unaware keystones.
Before elaborating on specifics, I do want to point out that it’s nearly always worth the 10pt investment to take reinforced drives on Ferrymen. The durability on the reinforced drives allows these clippers to cruise at FLANK speed substantially longer than normal drives or sundrives. It also makes them slightly more durable, and can be the difference between capturing that elusive A point or not.
Jamshuttle [EWAR] [FAST]
What it does: Jams the enemy while remaining hard to lock and hard to hit. Take this when: You want to screen your formation with jamming to get within weapons range or to reduce the amount of fire they are taking.
The LoadoutMounts MT1: J15 ‘Bellbird’ Jammer.
MT2: J15 ‘Bellbird’ Jammer
MT3: VLS-1 LauncherCompartments CMP1: Basic CIC
CMP2: Small DC Locker
CMP3: Reinforced MagazineModules MOD1: Light Civilian Reactor
MOD2: BW800-R Drive
MOD3: Actively Cooled Amplifiers
MOD4: Actively Cooled Amplifiers
Would you like to know more?For under 300 points, you get a jamming craft capable of screening your fleet with two Bellbird jammers!
The radar was ripped out in order to meet the power requirements, so this clipper will be staying in formation with the fleet and cannot scout or fight on its own, but the two actively cooled amplifiers it can fit means that it can keep these two jammers on a little longer than the ANS’s standard, unbuffed, blanket jammer.
A little-known advantage of the Jamshuttle is it’s small signature. Since it’s so small and putting out a lot of jamming power, it’s actually rather difficult for the ANS player to burn through your jamming and get a lock on the shuttle itself, making it very survivable as long as it can’t be seen. If ANS does launch a home-on-jam missile at it, the jamshuttle can carry some size-1 defensive missiles within the VLS-1 launcher, making it quite resilient, long as the jammers are on.
Use the Jamshuttle to stay with larger assests like marauders or monitors. When the bigger ships move into attack, turn the jammers on to mitigate ANS’s return fire. If the fleet needs to retreat or reposition, the Jamshuttle can turn the jammers on to mask the fleet’s movement.
While the Jamshuttle hides your ships, the next shuttle build reveals theirs.
The Ferryman Clipper: Huntress Scout
Bulwark Huntress Scout[Fast] [Scout] [Tech: Stealth]
What it does: Spots most ANS ships before ANS can spot it.
Take this when: You want a passive scout that scouts like ANS ship and is very hard to detect.
The loadoutMounting
MT1: None (Or rockets)
MT2: None (Or rockets)
MT3: VLS-1-23 LauncherCompartment:
CMP1: Basic CIC
CMP2: Small DC Locker
CMP3: Plant Control CenterModule:
MOD1: Light Civilian Reactor
MOD2: BW800-R Drive
MOD3: Bulwark Huntress
MOD4: Adaptive Radar Receiver
Would you like to know more?The OSP can make a spyglass corvette at home, and this is it. The Huntress scout clipper upgrades the Ithaca Radar to the Bulwark Huntress and buffs it with the adaptive radar receiver. This 10km detection capability combines with the Ferryman’s small signature to make it the only* ship in the OSP arsenal that approaches ANS passive sensor capabilities. It will turn the tables on ANS ships and outspot any ANS ship that is not equipped with a Spyglass radar. If it does get detected, it has the speed to run away until it's undetected, making it a very slippery target for ANS ships to catch.
However, the power requirements of the huntress and ARR make it so that this shuttle cannot mount any turreted weapons or point defense except for the missiles within the VLS-1 or rocket launchers. If you like, you can fit two RL-18's on the huntress clipper, but a close-range weapon is at odds with the huntress clipper's open-space stealth. If you want a big boom in a small box, take the next one, the rocket shuttle.
Use the huntress clipper to scout on the flanks, spot SEWACS and other threats and kite the craft just out of ANS's detection range while it keeps an eye on the Opfor. Take the huntress ferryman if you don’t have enough points for a MMT or sensor tug, but still need that additional scout.
The Ferryman Clipper: Rocket Shuttle
Rocket Shuttle[Fast] [Scout] [Salvo: Vaux-] [Duel: Keystone-] [Swarm]
When swarming: [Salvo: Axeford-]
What it does: Sneaks into range and destroys ships above its weight-class.
Take this when: You want to ambush ANS ships at close range.
The LoadoutMounting MT1: RL18 Launcher
MT2: RL18 Launcher
MT3: VLS-1-23 LauncherCompartment: CMP1: Reinforced CIC
CMP2: Small DC Locker
CMP3: Reinforced MagazineModule: MOD1: Light Civilian Reactor
MOD2: BW800-R Drive
MOD3: Ithaca Bridgemaster
MOD4: EMPTY
Would you like to know more?The rocket shuttle prefers to sneak and worm its way into the nest of beam-wielding keystones before deliver 32 rockets into their reactor at 4km distance or less. Keystones, make prime targets. They are often only dangerous when attacking into their beam. This makes very vulnerable to shuttles attacking from the flank. That said, take anything you can get. If you bump into a sprinter-class corvette, rocket it! Sprawl into a spyglass frigate, rocket it! As long as you get the rockets away, it’s a win.
Don't be too ambitions in what you target. While 32 rockets can cripple a Vauxhall, Vauxes are very hard targets for shuttles to attack due to their maneuverability and rapid-fire array of 250mm guns. Likewise, Levy carriers are valuable to strike, but often come with fighter/bomber escorts that will vaporize rocket shuttles before they get in range.
“Sneak in and unleash rockets” makes for a simple plan in theory, but many players have trouble managing a lot of shuttles at once. If that player is you, try this strategy to help lower the amount of actions per minute.
Park most of the shuttles in under or near asteroids near points or around rocks. They will wait for later. Then, try and sneak in with only one or two shuttles. If a shuttle manages to sneak in and fire their payload, that’s a win. If they die, then no big deal, you have more information for when you activate the next one or two shuttles for a sneak attack.
While sneaking the shuttles in, check in on the "sleeping" shuttles that are waiting patiently for their turn, If an enemy has wandered too close to the shuttles lying in wait, you can activate them and ambush the attacking ANS ships.
The Flathead Monitor: Introduction
Finally, some armor! The flathead-class monitor is the only* ship within the OSP fleet that equips any sort of significant armor, and also the only ship in the game that can equip the 600mm cannon. This armor means the Flathead often takes up the mantle of the frontline role. However, It’s large internal slots allow it to make use of OSP’s unique internal modules like the Damage Control Complex or Jury-Rigged reactors.
This section will give players a good solid starting point and a basic knowledge of the roles Flatheads often fall into.These roles are:
Gunhead MonitorsFlatheads that use their armor and front gun mount to fight ANS in direct, head-to-head engagements.
Sensorhead Monitors A.k.a. CIA monitors, these are Flatheads that combined OSP’s static sensor arrays with the internal modules that boost sensor performance. These Flatheads provide information and locks for the team and can carry weapons that make use of their exceptionally accurate radar tracks
Missileheads These Flathead that make use of their internal space to haul a lot of missiles and equip four or five roll-off launchers to fire salvos of 16 or 20 off at a time.
Sundrive Flatheads Flatheads that trade in their reactor for double-sundrives, giving them the speed to pair with their armor. They usually are a variant of gunheads, but have some tricks. See the "curveballs" section for more details.
The Flathead Monitor: Gunhead
Gunhead Monitor[Tank] [Slow] [Swarm] [Duel:Keystone-] When Swarming [Salvo: Vauxhall-] [Tech: Armor]
What it does: Holds the frontline with armor and firepower.
Take this when: You want to hold the frontline with a swarm of Flatheads.
Build: GunheadMounts MT1: C90 Cannon
MT2: T30 Plasma Cannon
MT3: T30 Cannon
MT4: RF44 “Pinpoint” Radar.
MT5: VLS-1-46 Launcher
Compartments CMP1: Renforced CiC
CMP2: Damage Control Complex
CMP3: Rapid DC Locker
CMP4 Rapid DC Locker
CMP5: Citadel Magazine
CMP6: Large DC Storage
Module: BW800-R Drive
Civilian Reactor
Ammunition Elevators
Rapid-Clycle Cradle
Rapid-Cycle Cradle
Ithaca Bridgemaster
Ammunition Elevators
Would you like to know more? Like torpedo tugs, Gunheads like to swarm together to make durable frontline. HESH Salvos from the C90 spinal gun can shred the internal components of the lightly armored ANS ships, and can wear down the larger targets like axefords. The C90 spinal can pressure from smaller targets and fighters with it's bombshell ammunition. The massed twin T30 firecan also bully any lightly-armored craft that gets to close away, or help shred fighter formations with flak or grapeshot.
Like the tug, the Flathead sport five external mounting locations. And, also like the tug, what you place here will depend on your fleet’s needs. Just like tug swarms, monitor swarms use these free mounts round out their weaknesses or give the swarm as a whole more capabilities. Usually, this means a VLS-1 box for chaff or flare, but a swarm of tugs can double-down on point defense and be very resilient to missile and fighter strikes when blobbed together. One flathead can mount two or more bellbird jammers to screen the formation from return-fire. Other options are a MLS-2 or MLS-3 mount to allow a flatheads to react to pop-up close-range threats like beams, or engage targets that evade outside the arc of their main gun.
Instead of upgrading, downgrading each Gunhead is also an option. Simply strip each Gunhead down to a skeleton, and used the points saved to add more Flatheads to the swarm. OSP players can make an array of seven or eight Gunheads. Add a sensor tug, and your frontline swarm has enough reach and detection capability to double as a second-line artillery array.
Plasma is also an attractive option for gunheads, but that'll be covered later in the "curveballs section."
The Flathead Monitor: Sensorhead
“Sensorhead” Monitors:[Tank] [Slow] [Hunter: Raines-] [Sensor: ALL] [Tech: Intel] [Tech: Armor]
Also called “CIA” monitors, sensorheards makes use of the large internal space to take upgrades that increase the accuracy of radar tracks as well as the chance to detect them. These internal modules DO stack with OSP’s excellent static sensors, granting the Flathead the ability to detect, identify, and produce a quality track from over 10km away.
What it does: Sees the enemy, gives intel, snipes small ANS ships.
Take this when: You want to know what your opponent has after a single sweep of the radar.
Sensorhead build: Mounting
MT1: R400 “Bloodhound” LRT Radar
MT2: R550 Early Warning Radar
MT3: T30 Cannon.
MT4: VLS-1-46 Launcher
MT5: MLS-2 LauncherComparntment:
CMP1: Basic CIC
CMP2: Damage Control Complex
CMP3: Analysis Annex
CMP4: Bulk Magazine
CMP5: Intelligence Center
CMP6: Jury-Rigged ReactorModules:
MOD1: BW800-R Drive
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: Track Correlator
MOD4: Light Civilian Reactor
MOD5: Adaptive Radar Receiver
MOD6: Ithaca Bridgemaster
MOD7: Track Correlator
Would you like to know more?
Because the intel center and annex effect the sensor tracks picked up by the EWR, the Sensorhead can quickly discern the composition of the enemy fleet. Likewise, it can use its bloodhound tracking radar and small amount of long-range S2 missiles to snipe small ships, such as sprinter corvettes.
An example:
The match has barely started and the sensorhead has already revealed what types of enemy ships are near A. If a corvette appears, I have a few salvos of missiles to fire at it and deny the point.
That said, the sensorhead doesn't need to bring missiles. Instead, it can mount the EWR on the side of the ship instead and use the space to hold a small hangar bay. I'd recommend the E/O pike. The bloodhound can lock one target within the early-warning radar's envelope, while the pike can fly forward and lock another. This way, your team gets two high-quality tracks out of one ship.
While it's an investment The sensorhead, or CIA monitor, offers vision scouting, good-quality tracks for your marauders, can deny capture points from long range, and even protect a point from being captured by a sneaky sprinter or raines.
The Flathead Monitor: Missilehead
Missilehead[Salvo: Any (Missile dependent)] [Slow]
What this does: Launch 20 size-2 missiles at once.
Take this when: You want to destroy ships that stray too far from the ANS formation, or destroy ships who’s point-defense has been weakened.
The Missilehead hauls hundreds S2 missiles to the battlefield and launches them 20 at a time. Depending on your skill with missile alchemy, a barrage of 20 S2 warheads can overwhelm most point defenses, and, if you bring two Arsenalheads, a salvo of 40 S2 warheads will capsize nearly any target in one attack. If your missiles are cheap enough, you can triple-down and bring three, but be aware, you will have no other capabilities but to launch 60 S2’s at once.
A common approach is to only take one missile head as a budget cruise-missile ship. Fill 1 magazine with missiles, leaving the Missile head at 1000 points and able to fire roughly five salvos before running out of ammo.
Missilehead LoadoutMounts:
MT1:MLS-2 Launcher
MT2: MLS-2 Launcher
MT3: MLS-2 Launcher
MT4: MLS-2 Launcher
MT5: MLS-2 LauncherCompartment:
CMP1: Basic CIC
CMP2: Bulk Magazine
CMP3: Small DC locker
CMP4-6: empty* (Can add another Bulk Magazine) Modules:
MOD1: Civilian Reactor
MOD2: BW800 Drive.
MOD3-7: Empty (Or One Ithaca Bridgemaster)
Would you like to know more?This build requires some degree of missile alchemy, but I recommend keeping the missiles cheap 4, 5, or 6 points each. Fire off the missiles in salvos of 20 to overwhelm ANS’s point defenses. With one bulk magazine, you’ll only get five shots on the big targets, but you can always add another bulk magazine if you want to fire
If you are brave, you can save even more points by using Semi-active homing (SAH) guided missiles. These missiles need another ship to illuminate a target with the lighthouse illuminator, but become very resistant to softkill countermeasures.
If you are brave, the Missilehead can equip the illuminator and paint targets for itself. It's salvo size goes down to 16, but the missiles themselves can be more potent with the points saved from SAH.. That said, invest in some survive-ability for direct-fire engagements, otherwise, the missilehead risk losing that expensive payload when ANS returns fire.
The Marauder: Introduction
The marauder is the hammer of the OSP. When it attacks, it can unleash a withering broadside able to cripple axefords. How it attacks and what the broadside is define the role a marauder will play. These roles usually fall into three categories:
Roles:Broadside Marauders Engage targets with a high-caliber broadside in direct ship-to-ship engagements before using their powerful engines to reposition. Turreted Marauders (Sometimes 'Obelisk' Liners) Equip lower-caliber, rapid-fire 100mm turrets on each side of the hull to hunt smaller targets with a much wider engagement envelope. Sometimes they equip C56 casemates to fire all guns 'up' like an Obelisk. Plasma Marauders Scorch away heavy ANS ship's armor. Can be turreted or broadside.
Before we get to specific marauder builds, be aware that all marauders start with three main weaknesses.
Weaknesses Weakness 1: It’s default engine is slow.
Weakness 2: It’s lack of armor makes it fragile.
Weakness 3: It’s inaccurate and nearly blind.
With most marauder builds, you’ll be able to invest heavily to shore up two of the three weaknesses. In this guide, most examples will address 1 and 2, and a good fleet comp can address 3.
A Quirky HullIn the ship builder, each marauder is randomly generated. When building a marauder, note that the hulls differ in slightly different ways:
The “pancake skillet” nose has a weak thruster, but very slim profile. Unless you’re boating 450mm’s or mass drivers, try to avoid this one. The boxy “pontoon” center hull offers a more durable internal layout, while the longer, sleeker hulls offer better mounts for point-defense. The engine block either has hardpoints located on the dorsal and ventral mounts, or the port and starboard mounts. The side mounts allow for a C56 casemate 250mm to help with broadsiding, while the top and bottom variants give better coverage to point defense or T20 turrets.
These differences, for the most part, won't effect a liner's capabilities, but some players do like to hit "duplicate ship" until they get a liner that suits them, or just looks that little bit cooler.
For the purposes of this guide, it means that the small "mount" slots may not align exactly with what you see in the fleet builder. If this is the case, try to see what was intended and adjust the build yourself.
The Marauder: 250mm Broadside Marauder
250Mm Broadside Marauder
[Fast] [Salvo: Vauxhaul-] [Duel: Vauxhaull-] [Swarm: (2 or 3)]
When swarming [Salvo: All]
What this does: This ship destroys light ANS ships with a single salvo of its 250mm and can chew through Axefords and Solomons if given enough repeat salvos.
Take this when: You want a flexible and fast mainline ship that can damage or destroy any ship ANS can bring to the table.
Broadside Marauder LoadoutMounting:
MT1: C56 Cannon
MT4: C56 Cannon
MT5: C56 Cannon
MT7: C56 Cannon
MT12: RF44 “Pinpoint” Radar
MT13: VLS-1-46 Launcher Compartment
CMP1: Large DC storage
CMP2: Damage Control Complex
CMP3: Jury-Rigged Reactor
CMP4: Rapid DC Locker
CMP5: Gun Plotting Center
CMP6: Rapid DC Locker
CMP7: Gun Plotting Center
CMP8: Reinforced Magazine
CMP9: Reinforced CICModules:
MOD1: CHI-9100 Long Haul Drive
MOD2: CHI-777 Yard Drive
MOD3: Rapid-Cycle Cradle
MOD4: Rapid-Cycle Cradle
MOD5: Rapid-Cycle Cradle
MOD6: Ithaca Bridgemaster
MOD7: Ammunition Elevators
MOD7: Ammunition Elevators.
Would you like to know more?The 250mm broadside marauder can unleash a salvo of sixty shells in around 10 seconds, and, when in formation with three of it’s buddies, the 250 warp-liner can focus their fire to cripple or kill any ship in ANS’s arsenal. It has VLS Chaff-box to go radar off+chaff to dodge enemy missile strikes, and a pinpoint radar to lock the pesky small targets that stray within 6.5km.
The components make use of the OSP-unique 8x3x8 module slots help shore up the liner's weaknesses. The DC Complex gives a global buff to damage control, the Jury-Rigged reactor allows the ship to install double-drives, and the Large DC Storage gives many rebuilds, allowing the rest of the damage control to be filled by cheap, efficient, and effective Rapid DC Lockers.
If the guns need a little more accuracy when firing at a good radar track, trade out Rapid DC lockers for Gun plotting centers. I find that two GPC’s is ideal, but many people prefer 1 or 3. Always include at least 1 GPC. The spread on the 250mm casemates is atrocious. Without GPC’s the effective range of the 250mm drops to about 6km, so always include one or two.
The modules are all about getting in position and mag-dumping. The rapid cycle cradles get more bullets out faster, cutting the time you’re exposed. The combination of the Long Haul and Yard Drive give the marauder the speed and mobility to get the jump on ANS or quickly fall back out of a bad situation.
While the 250-liner brings speed and firepower, it doesn’t have all the tools to operate solo. Bring some sensor ships to find where ANS is and a bloodhound tracking radar or pike to lock-on and get an accurate track for when its time to bring the guns to bear.
While an OSP player can festoon the outside mounts to grand the ship some point defense, it’s easy to get carried away. Since broadside-liners often operate with some auxillary support craft, it’s wiser to build those first, then come back with the remaining points and add point defense, chaff, hangars, missile launchers, an other systems that round out the fleet.
If you want a Marauder that can operate on it’s own, take a look at the next variant, the 100mm turret marauder.
The Marauder: Turret Marauder
100mm Turret Marauder[Fast] [Tank] [Salvo: Vauxhaul-] [Hunter: Vauxhaull-] [Anti-craft]
What it does Respond to fast threats quickly, zones out small threats like sprinters and strike-craft.
Take this when: You want a self-sufficent marauder to quickly plug gaps in your flanks or frontline.
While broadside-liners are dependent on the team, turret-cruisers are often anything but*. They trade some firepower and range for flexibility and self-sufficiency. By massing the flexible 100mm gun, turret cruisers can confidently engage a wide selection of lighter targets while also wielding the tools for self-sufficiency and defense.
Turret Marauder LoadoutMounts MT1: T30 Cannon
MT2: T30 Cannon
MT3: T30 Cannon
MT4: T30 Cannon
MT5: T30 Cannon
MT6: T30 Cannon
MT7: T30 Cannon
MT8: T30 Cannon
MT9: P20 Bastion PDT
MT10: Bastion PDT
MT 11: Bastion PDT
MT12: Bastion PDT
MT13: Bastion PDT
MT 14: VLS-1-46 Launcher
MT 15: J75 “Warbler” Jammer
MT: 16 Bastion PDT
MT17: RF44 ‘Pinpoint’ Radar
MT18: Bastion PDT Compartments CMP1: Damage Control Complex
CMP2: Citadel Magazine
CMP3: Jury-Rigged Reactor
CMP4: Rapid DC Locker
CMP 5: Small Workshop
CMP 6: Rapid DC Locker
CMP 7: Reinforced CIC
CMP 8: Damage Control Central
CMP 9: Rapid DC LockerModules: MOD1: CHI-777 Yard Drive
MOD2: Sundrive Racing Pro
MOD3: Rapid-Cycle Cradle
MOD4: Rapid-Cycle Cradle
MOD5: Track Correlator
MOD6: Bulwark Huntress
MOD7: Light Civilian Reactor
MOD8: Track Correlator
Would you like to know more?
This build leverages the above-average performance and wide ammo selection of the T30 cannon to make room to shore up the marauder’s weaknesses.
To effectively wield the T30 array, this marauder includes the the bulwark huntress radar and two track corellators give the marauder the eyes to see and the accuracy to send one-hundred-twenty-eight 100mm shells within 30m of a bullseye at 7.2km. That’s accurate enough for massed canister shot to tear into fighters and bombers, as well as pop cruise missiles before they reach terminal phase. If canister-shot isn't your style, 128 flak explosions will decimate fighters and bombers alike before they drop their payload.
Against ships, you’ll ventilate vauxhaulls, wreck raines, clobber keystones, and explode sprinters in a single salvo, but the 100mm guns don’t have the penetrating power to scratch an axeford or solomon. If you run into a hard target, disengage and use OSP’s other tools to deal with armor.
There's a special tool OSP gets for dealing with armor that will be covered later in the 'curveballs' section, but, for right now, replacing one or two T30 turrets to equip a few torpedoes with the MLS-3 or a few rocket-launcher can give the turret marauder the ability to punch up one or two times per match.
Obelisk Variants Another option for engaging heavier targets is to equipp C56 casemate along the bottom of the hull. With a rightly-shaped marauder, the 250mm guns can fire downwards along with the full array of T30 turrets. The ship will rear back and show it's belly or roof to it's target, standing upwards like an Obelisk, giving these sorts of builds the nickname "Obelisk Marauders."
If that's not enough, For hard targets, there’s one more marauder of the marauder made especially for taking them out.
The Marauder: Plasma Marauder
Plasma Marauder[Tech: Plasma] [Salvo: Armor] [Tank] [Slow]
What it does: Slugs it out on the frontline against ANS's hardest targets in direct-fire engagements.
Take this when: You want a ship that will make an impact on ANS axefords and solomons even if it loses, or want to combo with 100mm HE-HC ammo.
Slow and heavy, but the high HP of the casemates, the large investment into damage control, and stack of energy regulators makes this plasma-hose the closest thing OSP has to a frontline warship*. It’s low speed takes some planning ahead, but it carries 5 or 6 T20 turrets to pair with it’s plasma broadside with lethal, OSP-unique, HE-HC ammo.
Plasma Marauder LoadoutMounting:
MT1: C81 Plasma Cannon
MT2: Empty
MT3: EMPTY
MT4: C81 Plasma Cannon
MT5: Empty
MT6: C81 Plasma Cannon
MT7: C81 Plasma Cannon
MT8: Empty
MT9: T20 Cannon
MT10: T20 Cannon
MT11: T20 Cannon
MT12: T20 Cannon
MT13: VLS1-46 Launcher
MT14/15: T20 Cannon (Hull dependent)
MT 16: Empty
MT 17: Empty
MT18: RF44 pinpoint Radar
MT19: Empty
Compartment:
CMP1: Large DC Locker
CMP2: Damage Control Complex
CMP3: Citadel Magazine
CMP4: Small Workshop
CMP5: Gun Plotting Center
CMP7: Damage Control Central
CMP8: Small Workshop
CMP9: Reinforced CIC
Module:
MOD1: BW2000 Drive
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: Energy Regulator
MOD4: Energy Regulator
MOD5: Energy Regulator
MOD6: Energy Regulator
MOD7: Energy Regulator
MOD8: Light Civilian Reactor.
Would you like to know more?Plasma is one of OSP’s “Curevballs” so skip to the “Curveballs” section for an explanation of plasma and it’s uses. Other than using plasma and being slower than it's kinetically-armed counterparts, this Marauder plays similarly to other broadside marauders, if a little sluggish.
The Journeyman Light Carrier: Overview
Journeyman Light Carrier
The Journeyman is OSP’s newest ship and light carrier option. With only four, sometimes five, landing pads and limited internal mounts, it struggles to achieve the launching capability of it’s larger counterpart, the Mooreline. However, it’s cheap enough that you can fully kit it out and take multi-mission tugs, rocket shuttles, CIA monitors, and even a budget Marauder or two in a list with it.
Likewise, since the Journeyman’s fighter contingent is so small, it can invest into more expensive ammunition. While a Moorline may field swarms of barracudas, the Journeyman can afford to arm it’s squadrons to the teeth, as it doesn’t have many fish to feed when it comes to ammo.
This means, the Journeyman often falls into two roles
Fighter-Focused Journeyman
Bomber-Focused Journeyman
We'll go over those roles in brief in the next two sections, however, the Journeyman does get a cool hard point next to its bridge that can influence the way its played.
The cool hardpoint. . .
. . .can be a gun,
The Journeyman also has a hardpoint next to it’s bridge to mount one T-30 gun. This, paired with a TALS-2, MLS-2 or MLS-3 launcher can make the little carrier that could double as a back-cap defender, or handily protect itself from small sprinters corvettes or clutch a point in the late game. It’s not paying too much extra for the launcher, as the Jman may already store missiles or torpedoes for its fighters. If you want to explore the direct-fire combat ability of the Jman, I’d recommend a pinpoint radar to lock on to targets, giving it the firepower of a very clumsy multi-mission tug in ship-to-ship engagements at a pricetag of fifty points, 1/8th the cost of a full multi-mission, after all, the Journeyman was going to lug all that ammo around anyway.
. . . a radar,
If equipping the Journeyman for self-defense or rare ship-to-ship engagements doesn’t hold any appeal, the hardpoint can be used to multirole the Jman with an Early-Warning Radar. While it cycles craft it can keep vision on a flank. Just keep a point-defense CAP orbiting your carrier and bring a VLS-1 with defensive missiles for when ANS assumes a third of your list is a sensor tug and fires a radar-homing missile at it.
. . .something else,
Experiment. OSP gets a lot out of having more flexible mount slots. I am fond of taking x3 MLS-2 or MLS-3 launchers for the late-game surprise factor and insurance if my fighters get downed, I can still run the Journeyman as an impromptu missile boat. A salvo of six torpedoes or twelve MSL-2’s are no joke.
Or take a container-stack launcher and carry a two-shot supertorpedo surprise mine the B-point at the start of the match.
Just be ready for some folks to call it meme-y, but I think there’s enough value to be found in experimenting with secondary roles for the Journeyman for the lategame.
. . .or another launchpad. Nothing is wrong with equipping that last hardpoint with a small hangar to bring your total landingpad count up to 5. Bomber wings won’t benefit, but being able to launch a squadron of five fighters at a time and the extra space to take a skiff or pike has the benefit of always being useful.
The Journeyman Light Carrier: Fighter-Focused 'Fighterman'
Fighterman
The fighter Journeyman uses OSP's barracudas in conjunction with the other assets it takes to win on the edges of the battlefield. Launch a void-superiority air patrol to defend the team and then use fleet other assets to find light, exposed targets like sprinters, raines, and keystones with your fleet, and deploy strike or multirole fighters to aid your ships in taking them down. The added awareness lets you send these fighters to where they will make the most impact.
Or use the fighters to cover otherwise-vulnerable assets from enemy fighters. Rocket shuttles would appreciate the escort. And, while you won’t win outright against an ANS levy, you can sure be a thorn in their side while you protect the team from their strikes, or obtain local void superiority with your elite barracudas.
When taking a fighter Journeyman, take deck gear lockers to minimize the launch time of your fighters.
I may update this guide later on with more specific builds, but, at the time of writing, the fighter update has released for only a month and there are lots of things still to be discovered about carriers and fighters.
The Journeyman Light Carrier: Bomber-focused 'Bomberman'
Bomberman
More risk, more rewardThe Bomberman offers a more-risky, more rewarding style of play. The Journeyman only has two large landing pads, so it struggles to launch many sorties per mission. However, a good OSP captain can mitigate this weakness and give the Journeyman and its bombers a lot of damage for its points.
When playing a Journeyman with only bombers, equip at least two spacecraft strikedown stations so it can launch bombers in wings of four. After that, prioritize deck gear lockers and ammo elevators.
Even a fully kitted journeyman will struggle to launch fully-laden bombers in a timely manner. So, lightening the combat load on your bombers will help the bombers fly more sorties per match and do more damage.
A bomber journeyman uses its accompanying fleet assets less reactively and more aggressively. Use the tagalong fleet to shoo away in ANS’s fighter screen with missiles or flak before sending the bombers in, or set traps and ANS ships a squadron of awaiting bombers. Have friendly ships assist with providing locks to 100mm-armed sturgeons, or switchin on their bellbirds to degrade a point defense net for a bomber strike. When operating alone, sturgeons are strong, when they have the support of a fleet, they can be unstoppable.
In either case, a journeyman, by itself, will not win the air war, so a crafty OSP player has to use the Journeyman’s fighters and bombers in conjunction with the rest of their fleet to find success.
The Moorline: A Summary
The Moorline[Salvo: All] [Tech:Container Missiles, Strikecraft]
The moorline is OSP's premium backline asset. Whether fitted as a carrier or a container-missile boat, the job of the moorline is the same—it’s to destroy unsupported ANS ships from afar. The moorline requires a guide to itself, and there are several written by people who have more experience with building and sailing container liners. However, I will briefly go over the three common archetypes:
Container Moorlines These moorlines launch container missiles to destroy ANS targets at any range.
Carrier Moorlines These moorlines launch swarms of fighters to strike ANS ships and protect their team from strikecraft.
Support Moorlines These moorlines carry a large amount of decoys as well as a smaller paylod of container missiles. Usually much cheaper and accompanied by a strike group of rocket ferrymen clippers.
The Moorline: Container Moorline
Container Moorline: [Tech: Containers] [Salvo: All]
What it does:: Fires salvos of up to 12 long-range, high-damage, container missiles at once.
Take this when: Your team has filled all the other roles, but needs flexible, on-demand firepower.
Container liners can hide at the back for long-range cruise strikes, or built to be a bit more tanky as a second-line ship for direct-firepower support. As a general rule, direct-fire container liners want to invest more in the quality of their salvos, while backline CLN’s want to maximize their mag depth and bring a scout.
Moorlines are highly dependent on crafting the right sort of missile containers, and, generally, require a full guide to themselves. I’ll refrain from giving strict builds here, as they will depend on what ordinance the Moorline carries, however, here are some general guidelines for when building or playing a Moorline.
Guidelines When crafting container missiles, a range of 20,000 and a speed of 200 is a good place to start.
Bring a scout ferryman. Do not rely on your teammates to find or maintain locks for you.
Programming speed is more important than salvo size. A higher programming speed means your containers will cluster closer together, making them harder to intercept. If increased high enough, the moorline will be able to ripple-fire hot-launched containers for very long time-on- target attacks.
Mix seeker types in both each container as well as each missile salvo.
3.0 g's of maneuverability is very hard for point-defense to defeat.
Utility containers can be filled with decoys to aid long-range containers to pen PD nets. Try to fill it with at least 3 sets of decoys, and be sure to match the speed with your other long-range containers.
R2 Rocket Containers are excellent for hitting small targets and are hard to defeat without advanced warning. These make a good munition to uses against smaller targets like sprinters, keystones, and vauxhauls.
Focus on weaker targets: Lone Solomons, out-of-position ships, and fleets currently being engaged by your team. Firing into a ball of four axefords escorted by tantos will only waste ammo.
When plotting your cruise missiles's path, plot a "wiggly" path for your containers to dodge long-range ANS sarissa fire.
The Moorline: Carrier Moorline (To Be Revisited)
Carrier Moorline: [Tech: Strikecraft]
What this does: Fields the largest amount of fighters and bombers in the game.
Take this when: You're team has filled all other roles and is in need of a fleet carrier.
This Moorline equips x4 Container bank hangars to host a large contingent of strikecraft. Strikecraft are still being balanced and adjusted on the live server, so I'll revisit and update this section after a few more changes and strikecraft interactions are worked out.
OSP Curveballs*
CurveballsPrior to this section, I've mostly stuck to introducing the fundementals of OSP. However, OSP has a few tools in their faction-specific tech You may have noticed that I’ve ended some statements in an asterisk*. The asterisk indicated that OSP had a better tool, or an exception to that general guideline in the form of their unique faction technology, which I will call "curveballs."
OSP has three curveballs that they can throw to mix things up against ANS: Plasma/100mm HE-HC
Rockets
Mines/Decoys
The Ocello
In this section, I'll go over what exactly each does, and offer a few starting builds for each.
OSP Curveballs: Plasma + 100mm HE-HC
Plasma
What does plasma do?Plasma doesn’t do any damage by itself, instead, if offers something more intriguing, it changes the norms of the game. Normally, ANS prefer longer, drawn-out fights. Their armor can withstand a burst or two of damage, and, while OSP is caught in long reload times, ANS can destroy OSP’s key threats.
Plasma, however, changes the equation. Instead of dealing damage, multiple hits from plasma strips armor off of ANS’s tanky ships. Without their armor, ANS can no longer outlast OSP in a head-to-head gunfight. Pressure from a swarm of plasma flatheads can force an ANS player’s hand, and a well-timed burst from a plasma-turreted marauder can neutralize a battleship.
The two approaches when equipping plasma to your fleet1) Equip every ship with one plasma and whittle down your opponent through attrition. This is good in a Flathead “Pentaplasmabrick” fleet.2) Equip all the plasma onto one ship and buff that ship’s plasma-firing capabilities to the max This is good on a Marauder bulk freighter.
Plasma Casemate vs Plasma TurretOf the plasma, there are two types: The casemate, which offers better accuracy, sustained rate-of-fire and a greater degree of durability. In general, take the casemate for ships that need to put sustained pressure on the ANS ship, and take the turret when a faster burst of plasma is more important than sustained damage-over-time. Usually, the turret will be the pick, as it takes less internal modules to buff and has much wider firing arcs.
Plasma + 100mm HEHC ComboIf you bring plasma, bring 100mm HEHC ammo. HEHC shells cannot penetrate armor, but offer very large damage for their size--the perfect chaser to a plasma volley. Marauders firing an array of T30 or C30 cannons into a ship will core a Solomon if all its armor has been stripped away.
A note: ships that are scorched from reactor blooms also loose all their armor, making them prime targets for HEHC as well.
Plasma weaknessesPlasma does have some weaknesses. Namely, power draw. Because internal slots will be spent on light civilian reactors or slower, power-generating civilian drives, Any plasma-equipped ship will not be as fast or durable as it’s kinetic-armed counterparts.
Plasma also requires some time-on-target to work. Be sure to get the jump on ANS, as it will take a little time for you to start winning the gunfight.
Finally, Plasma introduces another point of failure. Plasma requires the one-two punch of Plas and 100mm HEHC or 250mm HE to kill ships swifty. If either the plasma ship or follow-up salvo ship is disabled, both ships may be rendered ineffective.
Plasma Build:Flathead “Plasmabrick”
A good place to start when splashing in plasma to your list. Not too many points to commit, but a swarm of these "Plasmabricks" can soften up ANS large ships as well as bully little ones. Change out the Pinpoint and VLS-1-46 for Point-defense or missiles, if you like.
Mounts MT1: C90 Cannon
MT2: T81 Plasma Cannon
MT3: T30 Cannon
MT4: RF44 “Pinpoint” Radar.
MT5: VLS-1-46 LauncherCompartments CMP1: Renforced CiC
CMP2: Damage Control Complex
CMP3: Rapid DC Locker
CMP4 Rapid DC Locker
CMP5: Citadel Magazine
CMP6: Large DC StorageModules BW800-R Drive
Civilian Reactor
Ammunition Elevators
Rapid-Clycle Cradle
Rapid-Cycle Cradle
Ithaca Bridgemaster
Ammunition Elevators
OSP Curveballs: Rockets
Rockets
What do rockets do?It’s best to conceptualize rockets as short-range, one-use, weak, plasma “beams.” Like plasma, enough rocket hits can strip the armor off heavier warships. However, unlike plasma, rockets don’t have a large power requirement or any suffer any of the shipbuilding disadvantages that plasma brings. Instead, rockets suffer from a lower effective range and can be shut down by a strong point-defense network. Usually, rockets go on shuttles. Shuttles offer a cost-effective platform to sneak in and deliver rockets, however, with more investment, other ships and modules can shore up the weaknesses of the Rocket Launchers.
Rocket WeaknessesRocket launcher's weaknesses are not insurmountable, and makes rockets pair very well with Jamming. Jamming a target allows rockets very close before the target’s PD net activates, and a long stream of rockets, aided by jamming, will eventually overwhelm point-defense with a ToT (Time-on-target) attack.
Rocket BuildRemember flatheads? Well, flatheads don't always have to be slow. They can equip double-sundrives to quickly close the gap for a rocket strike.
Here’s a Rocket-armed sundrive flathead built to break an escorted Axeford or Solomon’s point-defense with a time-on-target attack under a jamming umbrella. With this ship, the plan is simple. Find your target, BSHORT the jammers, rush into 4k, and unleash a salvo of 72 rockets twinned with two torpedoes.
Sundrive Rocket FlatheadMounts: MT1: J15 “Bellbird” Jammer
MT2: RL36 Launcher
MT3: RL36 Launcher
MT4: J15 ‘Bellbird’ Jammer
MT5: MSL-3 LauncherCompartments CMP1: Reinforced CIC (Or basic, if you’re feeling lucky)
CMP2: Citadel Magazine
CMP3: Rapid DC Locker
CMP4: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP5: Jury-Rigged Reactor
CMP6: Jury-Rigged ReactorModules MOD1: Sundrive Racing Pro
MOD2: Sundrive Racing Pro
MOD3: Actively Cooled Amplifiers
MOD4: Actively Cooled Amplifiers
MOD5: Empty
MOD6: Ithaca Bridgemaster
MOD7: Empty
It takes some degree of missile alchemy and a very long ToT rocket attack, but dropping a jammer and mixing in an MLS-3 to to fire a torpedo will make the attack even harder to counter. Either the point-defense attacks the rockets, letting the torpedo through, or fires on the torpedo, letting the rockets strike home and damage the PD.
To really greed out, move the front jammer to side and slap a container stack launcher to the front. Put with two 5km container “torpedoes: with 3.5g’s of hypercorkscrew on the front. It’s near 800 points, but can self-sufficiently approach and destroy an ANS capship with a combination of armor, firepower, and a flank speed of 40m/s. Easy, right? Just don’t charge headlong into beams.
While best when built around, rockets can also be equipped to give more one-note ships some flexible firepower. I prefer a RL-36 or a couple of RL-18’s on a 100mm Marauder cruiser, for example. Experiment. If a ship just needs a little more burst firepower try a RL-18 or RL-36.
OSP Curveballs: Mines
Mines:OSP often relies on swarming ANS with tugs or monitors when it comes to fielding a frontline. A savvy ANS player can circumvent the swarm and back-cap osp players or strike high-value targets like Moorlines.
Mines allow some measure of security in the backline, letting OSP concentrate forces where need be. Even if ANS detects the minefield, they have to take time to clear it with point defense. So, even if a minefield doesn’t kill the back-capping craft, it will buy time for the OSP team to respond.
A good minefield combines all three mine types: Sprinters, Co-op, and cheaper maddocks. However, if you’re on a budget, either sprinters or maddocks will do the trick.
Take a few mines with swarms, or maybe a few in some containers on a moorline or marurader. drop them off near unprotected points and let them do their thing. As you use them more, you’ll find more sneaky and unexpected spots to place them. Still, while they are rarely worth investing in fully, a small investment here can buy OSP the time it needs to react to ANS.
OSP Curveballs: Decoys
Decoys:Decoy containers are another trick up OSP’s sleeve. Point-for-point, ANS gains far superior map awareness in OSP. So, one solution is to overload the amount information the ANS team has to filter through. Decoys containers are most commonly mounted on marauders or support-oriented moorlines. By filling up a flank with decoys, OSP can screen their attack. By the time ANS figures out the ruse, your craft are already in range.
No Risk, All RewardDecoys allow OSP to claim space without risking craft against ANS’s better sensor game or ferret out significant threats like beamstone destroyer or a trio of Vauxhauls. Usually, a support moorline, will launch a cloud of decoys as cover for a swarm of rocket shuttles, A little less commonly, a marauder will launch a pair of decoys around a corner to check if its safe peek out and advance. However, ANS does have one very strong counter to decoys.
But, be advised. . .E/O Guidance will find your ships in a swarm of decoys, as well as a good intel center or two. If you want to sneak a shuttle swarm in a cloud of decoys, bring a blackjack optical jammer on a shuttle and pray they didn't bring an intel center.
Or, if you're brave, use Lineship decoys to sneak in something bigger:
OSP Curveballs: The Ocello
The Ocello
The Ocell is an ace up OSP’s sleeve. Whenever I’ve marked a comment with an asterisk*, claiming that no ship, or only one ship within OSP could do the task, the astrisk means to say that the Ocello is, say it with me now, the exception to the rule.
The exceptions to the rulesUsually, the Ocello falls into three distinct categories:
Spyglass Ocellos Use a spyglass array, a bullseye radar, and other EWAR tools to turn ANS's EWAR game against them. Omnijam OcellosHost all manner of softkill to make a section of OSP's fleet very missile-resistant. Torpedo Ocellos "Torpcellos" Pack enough firepower to sink whole fleets.
While the Ocello does each of these things very well, it's comparatively limited internal slots don't give it the flexibility of an axeford. Build your Ocello with a specific task and purpose, and it'll do well. In the next section, I'll cover each of these builds.
The Ocello: Spyglass EWAR Ocello
Spyglass Ocello[Fast][Ewar+][Tank][Tech: ANS Sensors]
What it does: Grants OSP the EWAR capabilities on par with ANS in a package that doesn’t sacrifice speed or firepower.
Use this when: You want a durable, fast, mainline mainline to grant locks, jam the enemy, counter enemy jamming, and detect ships as far as 12.5km away. Spyglass Ocello LoadoutMounts MT1: MK66 Cannon
MT2: MK66 Cannon
MT3: MK66 Cannon
MT4: VLS-1-46 launcher
MT:5: VLS-1-46 launcher
MT6: ‘Interuption’ Jammer (Or CR-75 antenna)
MT7: ‘Floodlight’ Illuminator
MT8: RF 101 ‘Bullseye’ Radar
MT9: VLS-1-23 Launcher
MT10: E90 ‘Blanket’ Jammer
MT11: E90 ‘Blanket’ Jammer Compartments: CMP1: Reinforced CIC
CMP2: Reinforced Magazine
CMP3: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP4: Large DC Locker
CMP5: Damage Control Central
CMP6: Auxiliary Steering (Or Reinforced DC Locker)
CMP7: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP8: Gun Plotting Center
CMP9: Gun Plotting CenterModule MOD1: FM230 ‘Whiplash’ Drive
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: FM280 ‘Raider’ Drive
MOD4: FR3300 Micro Reactor
MOD5: FR3300 Micro Reactor
MOD6: Ammunition Elevators
MOD7: RS41 ‘Spyglass’ Radar
MOD8: Ammunition Elevators
MOD9: Adaptive Radar Receiver
MOD10: Adaptive Radar Receiver.
Would you like to know more?The Spyglass ocello does it all. It has the speed to reposition, firepower to duel, the jamming to screen, and the spyglass + bullseye combo to detect and lock ANS ships for the fleet. If ANS tries to jam you out, activate the floodlight illuminator. With the floodlight active, the Ocello will both be able to see, lock, and shoot the ANS ships while jamming them. ANS will have to find a way to start shooting before they worry about penning the Ocello’s armor.
While the speed and jamming keep your engagements favorable, the twin VLS launchers provide point-defense from missile salvos as well as strikecraft. Fill them up with two-point radar guided S1’s with ~2.5k range, a full blast warhead, and set the salvo size to “2.” Mix in a few Home-on-Jam defense missiles to catch the self-screening jammers, and this point-defense can weather nearly any missile salvo ANS can throw at you.
But not forever. Defense ammo is limited, so this Ocello cannot anchor a fight indefinitly. Use it’s speed and EWAR to lead your fleet into quick, decisive engagements. If you want a bastion of a ship that acts as a bulwark for the frontline, the next build may be for you.
The Ocello: Omnijam Aurora Ocello
Omnijam OCELLO[Slow] [Tank] [EWAR+] [Tech: Aurora]
What it does: Negates ANS’s missile salvos through jamming and protects nearby ships with four Aurora turrets.
Take this when: You want a softkill bastion to hold the frontline and shield more vulnerable ships from missile strikes or bombing runs.
The Omnijam Ocello LoadoutMounts
MT1: Mk66 Cannon
MT2: Mk66 Cannon
MT3: Mk66 Cannon
MT4: Mk90 ‘Aurora’ PDT
MT5: Mk90 ‘Aurora’ PDT
MT6: E70 ‘Interruption’ Jammer
MT7: MT7: J360 ‘Lyrebird’ Jammer
MT8: L50 ‘Blackjack’ Laser Dazzler
MT9: L50 ‘Blackjack’ Laser Dazzler
MT10: Mk90 ‘Aurora’ PDT
MT11: Mk90 ‘Aurora’ PDT
Compartment
CMP1: Reinforced CIC
CMP2: Reinforced Magazine
CMP3: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP4: Large DC Locker
CMP5: Damage Control Central
CMP6: Auxiliary Steering
CMP7: Rapid DC Locker
CMP8: Rapid DC Locker
CMP9: Rapid DC Locker
Modules:
MOD1: Boosted Reactor
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: FM500R Drive
MOD4: FR3300 Micro Reactor
MOD5: Adaptive Radar Receiver ( Or Ammo Elevators)
MOD6: Track Correlator (Or Ammo Elevators)
MOD7: RM50 ‘Parallax’ Radar
MOD8: ES32 ‘Scryer’ Missile ID System
MOD9: Track Correlator (Or Ammo Elevators)
MOD10: Adaptive Radar Receiver (Or Ammo Elevators)
Would you like to know more? The Jamcello trades trades in the offensive EWAR capability for a defensive EWAR focus. This Ocello can identify and jam all missiles heads except for HOJ and WAKE. For other ships, this may be a problem, but for the Ocello, it's the scryer missile-identification system allows the four aroura lasers to pick off the missiles that would otherwise counter its softkill suite.
I've fitted the above Ocello to use the parallax radar to provide locks and detect ANS with two ARR's and Two track correlators. However, it can be configured to more of a gunfighter swapping those out with additional ammo elevators.
Be warned, this Ocello isn't fast. To get the power needed for each jammer and arouras, it has to take a second generator where its second drive should be. However, it doesn’t have to be fast. It’s job is to hold the line. Be aware, the jamming effectiveness falls off the closer to the edge of the “jamming bubble” friendly ships are, so keep the fleet close to get maximum protection from this ocello.
The Ocello: Torpedo Ocello
Torpedo Ocello
[Tank] [Fast] [Salvo:All] [Duel: All] [Tech: Unjammable Torpedoes]
What it does: Fires salvos of unjammable torpedoes into high-priority ANS targets.
When to take it: When you want to close within 5km and sink entire Opfor battlegroups.
Torpedo Ocello Loadout
Mounting
MT1: VLS-3 Launcher
MT2: VLS-3 Launcher
MT3: VLS-3 Launcher
MT4: VLS-1-46 Launcher
MT5: VLS-1-46 Launcher
MT6: CR70 Antenna
MT7: E70 ‘Interruption’ Jammer
MT8: RF101 ‘Bullseye’ Radar
MT9: VLS-1-23 Launcher
MT10: E90 Blanket Jammer
MT11: E90 Blanket Jammer
Compartment:
CMP1: Strike Planning Center
CMP2: Reinforced CIC
CMP3: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP4: Strike Planning Center
CMP5: Damage Control Central
CMP6: Auxiliary Steering
CMP7: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP8: Reinforced DC Locker
CMP9: Reinforced DC Locker
Module:
MOD1: FM230 “Whiplash” Drive
MOD2: Boosted Reactor
MOD3: FM280 ‘Raider’ Drive
MOD4: Light Civilian Reactor
MOD5: Missile Parallel Interface
MOD6: ‘Scryer’ Missile ID System
MOD7: RS35 ‘Frontline’ Radar
MOD8: Missile Programming Bus
MOD9: Missile Parallel Interface
MOD10: Missile Parallel Interface Your torpedoes settings should be as follows:
At least 3g’s of turn rate
At least 4.5km range
Warhead Size: 5
Direct guidance.
Command-guided.
Launch type: Cold
Terminal Maneuvers: Corkscrew
Cold Gas Bottle.
Would you like to know more? The lightning-quick programming time from the Parallel Interfaces and Strike Planning centers allow the missiles to be ripple-fired until all VLS launchers run out of ammo. Launching missiles rapidly also lets them cluster closer together, giving the Opfor point defense less time to intercept the incoming salvo. Additonally, the CR70 antenna broadcasts stronger than interruption jammers, ensuring that the stream of command-guided torpedoes have to be hardkilled.
Keep in mind that damage from torpedoes cannot completely destroy reinforced components. Reinforced DC lockers and Reinforced CIC’s will survive a torpedo barrage until the hull breaks. Ships receiving a salvo from the torpcello will be rendered ineffective long before their bridge will turn orange and their lifepods spill out. You’ll have to get a feel for how many each hull takes before it’s crippled.
There’s still some points to throw around after including this torpcello. I recommend spending your remaining points on spaceships that give vision to the team—and allow you to find the right target and approach to attack from.
Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3421858182
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