Imperial Remnant
The Emperor and Vader are dead, long live Sate Pestage!! Erm I mean the Empire. IMHO the Empire is the most interesting faction to play. In effect it is choose your own difficulty level on top of Admiral or captain etc. The Empire has a decent starting position but tends to suffer a little bit from a relative lack of funds. Zsinj for example is a lot richer due to the corporate sector wolds, its easy for the NR to grab them as well along with Greater Maldrood (a bit harder for GM oh well). However you do control several choke points and several woirlds with key abilites such as Wayland, Kuat, and Corellia. You also kind of have 7 eras as era 1 and 3 is split in two. You are one of the best factions in the game in era 1 and 3 and decline compared to the New Republic in era 5. Do you beelinw for the NR ASAP on campaigns such as Art of War, or do you play the other campaigns and pick an era. For a challenge the Orinda campaign is difficult the NR has more resources and better ships than you do. On the larger sandbox campaign a late game New Republic and/or Greater Maldrood make for some interesting boss fight factions. Do you go for a blitzkrieg or settle in for some epic fights vs 200 and 300 point fleets where 4 SSD's may not be enough (and they die). In FTGU you are locked at Era 3 which is not a bad place to be IMHO. Generally the Empire is a bit weak at carrier fleets and is very good at inflicting damage and spamming units due to the Kuat Drive Yards on Kuat and Loronar Corporation on Corellia and Coruscant is the most valuable planet in the game (although Elrood comes close go figure). Early on Wayland is also very good to build 100% infantry barracks on and 20-30 Plex troopers, storm troopers and army regiments are enough to chew through most maps (although casualties an be excessive).
Your land units do not change to much and new things like the XR-85 are not that good. Infantry spam, 2M tanks and AT-PT and the TIE tank are your go to land units with a bit of artillery support. Fortress worlds generally want a barracks, light and heavy factory with additional heavy factories for more 2M tanks which are useful to kill artillery as they have the speed to reach them without dying 1st although it may be a one way trip. I prefer more factories over turbolasers on most maps. AT- AT walkers can be useful on the defensive, but I only have 1 or 2 production worlds for them (1 heavy factory and 4 or 5 walker buildings). Most of my infantry is produced on Wayland, Lianna can be used to spam TIE tanks but its not really needed as they are cheap anyway. Carida is usually a heavy factory, worlds with 2 or 3 production slots are usually for light factories or 1 each for barracks, light and heavy factories. border worlds are fortified with full garrisons and production buildings (rarely turbolasers). Major fortress world will have full garrisons, 2 HVG, fleet, validusia+golan defenses although such worlds are usually rare (Kuat, Coerrila, Coruscant, Etti IV, Thanos etc).
Return of the Government: A New Hope
Era 1. At the game start your income is nothing special. You want to build mines and relocate some mines onto rich planets (85 credits+). You also want to sell any ISD I, Carracks and dreadnoughts you have. Don't get the Tector above Carida confused as an ISDI though. Generally I like to keep Sate Pestage around to build mines and production facilities in the deep core. Thyferra and Kessel are also worth building mines on along with Orinda, odds are you will lose Kessel but 2 weeks income pays for the 2 mines there. Withdraw your fleets on the border regions. Sent Pestage to Kuat and Corellia to build KDY and Loronar Corporation. Some planets on the borders (Orinda, Honoghr etc)might be best building 4 units of flex troopers/storm troopers along with a light vehicle factory. Deep core worlds (Kalist, Hassk etc) are for mines or factory worlds- you want a light factory worlds, a heavy factory world, and maybe a heavy one although that might take a while. Eventually pay the money and Recruit Isard.
The Empire Strikes Back
Era 1.1.
With Isard you get a SSD for cheap. At this point of the game relative to the other eras this is about as good as it gets for the empire as the EotH and New Republic lack their late game toys whie you have Isard, can build another executor, and you have the Tector+ strike cruiser advantage. You can probaby over run the galaxy whatever you do. I tend to turlte up and take some money worlds. Hitting the PA early is often a good idea and you can push all the way to Muunilist. hell you can probably grab all of the PA or head for the Corporate Sector either way is kind of easy mode. Jaemus gives you another world with production facilities while Bastion and Muunilist along with Garos are good for banking worlds (mines+ trade ports). Getting the Corporate sector or PA before Kaine turns up is easy enough along with an aggressive push into the EotH. Going est or north tends to give you a harder late game though if GM blobs and the New Republic eats the south (hutt SPace and CSA are rich). As I said I tend to turtle take some key worlds and defend while playing tall- developing my stuff I want the AI to be a challenge. The EotH AI tends to be passive at best pushing into the PA while Eridau Authority/Rebels tend to come out on top in the south and Zsinj or GM get the NE. The EA, NR and Gm make the best opponents in terms of a late game challenge as Zsinj and EotH tend to be to passive and fall over once you kill the key leaders. Assuming you want to actually play the other eras (or things go pear shaped) letting the AI blob may be a plan. Eating the EotH is probably one of the better plays, its rich but doesn't give you to many advantages over eating Zsinj or striking at the PA before Kaine turns up. Sooner or later you will likely pay the money and recruit Thrawn. Note you will not be able to build Tectors or Executor SSD's again until era 4. The default Imperial fleets here probably should be something like this.
4 Tectors (-1 +1 ISD II commander)
12 Strike Cruisers (-1 +3 lancers)
Super Fleet
1 Executor
1 Tector
5 Strike Cruisers
4 Lancers
ISD II fleets and carrier fleets I do not bother with but its an option and when they work losses tend to be minimal (free starfighters). Of course you can use your starting units but I do not tend to build any new ISDs (replacements maybe) or VSD's, the ones you have are better kept as defence fleets saving them for era 2. Note when you change eras you might lose some worlds, usually the ones up near Wayland and deep core worlds.
Era 2. Thrawns Revenge.
The only new units you acquire in era 2 are the scimitar assault bomber and you get a down grade from the Tector to the Allegiances. A subtle change however is to the VSD I and II which now carry 2 scimitar assault bombers and the ISD II and Escort Carriers also pick them up. While subtle this lets the empire to be a carrier based faction if you like and not be crap at it relative to the other factions except the Eriadu Authority who are roughly in the same boat (maybe Yevetha but the D class is better than TIE fighters). The scimitars are faster and more durable than TIE bombers and they launch their payloads from a greater distance (I think). You can also run allegiances with any left over Tectors you have as you do not tend to lose many of them.
Balance/Carrier Fleet Hybrid
4 ISD's (or a commander)
2 VSDs
2 VSD II
5 Escort Carriers
4 Lancers
2 strike cruisers or 6 scimitar assault bombers
I tend to go over strength as well often adding an additional 10-15 scimitars to the fleet to act as reserves. Compared to the TIE bomber the scimitar is amazing and between them and the VSD I's you can strip away shields and I hear Thrawn is a good commander along with any surviving era 1 grand admirals + the 2 extra captains you get with Thrawn. This is about as good as it gets for imperial carriers.
Kill Fleet (assuming you have some left over Tectors, you can't build them,)
2 Allegiances
2 Tectors (or ISD IIs lack of choice)
7 Strike Cruisers
5 Lancers
If you just want to melt face the IR is the only faction that can field Allegiances+ Tectors although you won't be able to replace Tectors for a while. To get to Era 3 either kill Thrawn or pay the 65k. THe game appears to be bugged with the transition if Thrawn gets killed but if you pay the money it seems you get the Eclipse. At least I have not had the eclipse. For fun I like the scimitar fleets and carry a few bombers forward as "museum pieces" that eventually get relegated to Byss guard duties along with the other units you can no longer replace through the eras.
Era 3: The Dark Empire
This is the height of imperial power apart form era 1 and its mostly due to super weapons namely the Eclipse and Sovereign class SSD. In this era you can field 3 SSD's assuming you have carried an Executor forward from era 1. A Soveriegn class can 1 shot another SSD Bellatro or Executor class while the Eclipse can one shot anything else in the game. I normally save Dathomir for this and Zsinj gets to see the effects of a Sovereign class up close while the Eclipse gets used on Rancor Base. They are also both good at clearing out Empress, Oto, and Validusia level space stations. They are weaker than Executor class in terms of sheer beat down and can be vulnerable to sufficiently lare fleets. I recommend using a 90 to 100 point fleet with them and something as simple as forgetting to use a pathfinder unit and getting stuck with a swarm of CC 7700 Interdictor frigates vs the NR can lead to a dead SSD due to clouds of fighters and bombers. In era 4 and 5the Sovereign is unique and irreplaceable. You pick up the XR-85 which is a bit meh, build 2 2M tanks instead IMHO along with the Modular Task Force Cruiser. The cruiser i theory shold be good, its chepa, 3 points carries 2 TIE bombers and two TIE droids but in practice a swarm of TIEE bombers still sucks and they make meh escorts for the SSDs for example vs say Strike Cruisers and lancers. I like using a single tectors+ strike cruisers and lancers as a suitable escort as if things go wrong you have abetter chance of shooting your way out vs gambling on TIE bombers. If you want to much around with droid fighters and TIE bombers use them on Tector and ISD II fleets perhaps replacing strike cruisers with them. Those carrier fleets are not as good as era 2 but you have more fighters and TIE bombers can be OK if you have enough of them and air superiority. You can also build world devastators, they seem crap/bugged and not worth building but I often build 2 of them to send to Byss to keep my various collections company. From an optimisation point of view you can probably conquer the galaxy in era 3 but I am assuming you want to continue the era progression. I tend to be cautious withthe Eclipse and Sovereign, if you get the Eclipse killed you go to Dark Empire II, otherwise you can pay 1000 credits to recruit Carnor Jax.
Era 3 Dark Empire II. The Council of Blood
IN this sub era you replace the clone emperor with members of the ruling council which if you have surivingin heroes form era 1 you can end up with a lot of heroes None of these carry forward so it doesn't matter to much if the admirals die and they are not particularly good by imperial standards and the ground commanders are also meh. Several worlds seem to secede form the empire with decent defence fleets as well. you do get 3 economic advisers, the two blue ones give you cheap frigates and fighters while the other one gives you a credit boost on a planet so send him to Coruscant or your best planet if you have lost that. The red skinned one also gives you cheap buildings to rebuild some of the recaptured planets or to dev up your empire or expand it. Dark Empire 2 is mostly about using those advisers to boost your production and you can spam some Task Force Cruisers if you want to carry them forward into era 4. Either way the Dark Empire er is about big derpy ships or droid fighter and TIE bomber spam.
Sovereign Fleet
1 Sovereign SSD
1 Allegiance
9 Modular Task Force Cruisers (or 8 Strike Cruisers + 3 lancers)
Era 3 also allows the Empire to field a nasty Carrier Task Force (CTF). It looks something like this.
X4 ISDs (or 3 ISDs + 3 escort carriers)
X3 VSD II's
8 Modular Task Force Cruisers
TIE Droids+ Bomber spam. Main problem with this fleet is the Task FOrce Cruiser is debateably no better than an acclamator.
Era 4. Visions of the Future
Era 4 you pick up the Crimson Command VSD, Venators, and Tectors come back and Allegiances go bye bye. Your ISD II's also upgrade and launch 4 A-9 Vigilence Interceptors, a Howlrunner, TIE and TIE bomber. Venators also launch a single A-9. This era is all about the cruisers- basically the Crimson Command VSDs and the Tectors its like the Eriadu Authority and Greater Maldrood had a baby. Daala, Pellaeon and Makati and Takel are your admirals (assuming the latter 2 survive). You can also build Venators but unlike the PA youtend to lack things like Secutors and better bomber options. Still quantity has a quality all of its own and escort carriers and left over task force cruisers can offer a swarm of various TIEs. This is about the only era where cruisers are competitive with Strike Cruisers due to the CC VSD's. just replace an early era balanced fleet VSD's with CC VSD's. Daala is rocking about in the Knight Hammer which means you can field that, a left over Sovreign and you can now build Executors again so you can field 3 SSD super fleets.
Suggested Fleet (balanced)
4 Tectors (or 3 + Admiral)
5 CC VSD
4 Lancer Frigates
4 Strike Cruisers
Or
4 Tectors
3 Venators
8 strike Cruisers (or 7+ 3 lancers)
Suggested Fleet (kill)
4 Tectors
5 CC VSD
4 Strike Cruisers
4 Lancers
Super Fleet
Same as Era 1
7500 credits gets you Pelleaon and era 5. Era 5 is arguably worse than era 4 but you gain the Praetor and Pelleon in an SSD Executor class. You can also end up with 2 Daalas due to a bug but the old one can carry forward and a new one turns up in a Venator. This means you can field 4 SSD- Daala, Pelleaon, an Excutor and a Sovereign which lets you equal the PA 4 SSD's but 3 Executors+ Sovereign> 2 Executors+ 2 bellators. You can build I-7 Howlrunners (junk) and Preybirds (excellent), your ISD IIs also upgrade to carrying a single Howlrunner although ISD IIs are well obsolete. This is the era for epic fights especially if you have not expanded that much. Tectors are basically your main ship, the strike cruisers soldier opn and if the New Republic is a blob they are the biggest threat and your "overpowered" Tectors and Praetors get to face swarms of K wings, Bothan Assault cruisers, new class star destroyers etc. Your default fleets should be 90 points (maybe 60 on the defensive) and key fortress worlds might need fleets in the 90-120 range+ validusia+golan+ 2 HVG's as I have seen AI fleets of 11 allegiances turn up+ huge amounts of support ships an the imperial economy may be stretched to the limits if you are getting slammed by 2 main AI factions (GM+ NR is fun). Vs the New Republic carrier type fleets are complete junk the TIE bombers get shot down by everything. They an be somewhat useful vs other factions.
Suggested fleets
Super Fleet
Same as era 4.
Fighters
30 Preybird
15 TIE Defenders
Kill Fleet
1 Praetor
3 Tectors
6 Strike Cruisers
3 Lancers
30 Point top up fleets
8 TIE Defenders
14 Preybirds
Cheap 30 point fleet to rush somewhere.
2 Tectors
4 Strike Cruisers
3 Lancers
This fleet is for adding to a 60 point or 90 point fleet or just to act as reinforcements to a defensive fleet. Vs the new Republic just double, triple or quadruple this fleet. Vs the other imperial factions yo have the edge as you have some of the best units from each of the warlord factions and they are not the New Republic. Te ISD II is well obsolete, I only use/build them in some narrow cases or with massive lancer and fighter support. On the defensive with HVG vs the NR target their Bothan Assault cruisers they are squishy. Don't be to surprised if you lose an SSD or 2 120 point fleet. Howlrunners and Preybirds can be cheap reinforcements.
Overall the IR is relatively weak with carrier fleets only being better than the Eriadu Athority and the Yevetha with perhaps era II being an exception. This is because they are not the New Republic or the EotH and do not get units and fighters the PA, GM and Zsinj get. Even in Era 2 you just suck less. You can cobble something together using ISD IIs. strike cruisers, acclamators and escoprt carriers its just nothing to get excited about. The ISD 2 is also a bit obsolete as each era has better options. I use them mostly for defence and tend to only build replacements for the fleets that use them. They do not compare that well to tectors, super weapons, allegiances and the New Class ships of era 3+. They are marginally better era 4 and 5 but so are their opponents. I use them but do not build massive quantities of them.
Pro
Interesting to play with era progression (that you have control over)
Very good starting position (beaten by Zsinj and the Empire of the Hand).
Best and numerous Admirals in the game (Thrawn, Pelleaon, numerous skill 3 ones that last right through the eras).
3 planets with cheap production (Kuat, Corellia, Wayland)
High damage units
Tectors
Strike Cruisers
Very strong on land era 3+
Easy to tech up- you have more control paying credits to gain the next era.
Diverse unit roster with decent if basic units- Strike Cruisers, VSD's, lancers, ISD II, Escort carriers, Acclaimators. Gives you options on fleets (spam, carriers, cruisers, heavy etc)
Cons
Lack of economic adviser most eras (Sate doesn't last long usually, Isard is better as an SSD, otherwise era 3 Crimson Empire).
Squishy capital ships (except Tectors, Allegiances, SSD)
Below Average Cruisers (VSD I and II)
Outclassed by the other factions era 1
Outclassed by the New Republic late eras
No unique units era 1 (except TIE defender)
Weak bombers
Weak fighters (on ships) quantity helps.
Weak Carriers
No jumbo unit era 1 (Allegiances, Praetors)
Other warlords have unique units era 1 (that are better than yours).
Triangle ships not very manoeuvrable.
Topic: Faction Guide 2.25 (Read 24587 times)