Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock/Colonial Ships

Colonial vessels are straightforward, crude, and uncompromising. What they lack in speed and finesse, they make up for with heavy armour and very powerful weapons.

There is a statistic unlisted in this section of the guide: Marine Armour, which improves the survivability of Marines when fighting off enemy boarding actions. All Colonial ships have a Marine Armour value of 40 by default, which is improved by taking a defensive posture and reduced with an offensive posture. As all Colonial vessels share this statistic, it is unlisted in the section below.

Postures
Colonial vessels can operate from one of two stances, or postures. An Offensive Posture will redirect strength away from the Armoury, Hangar, Engineering, and towards Fire Control. A Defensive Posture will redirect strength away from Navigation and Fire Control and towards Hangar, Engineering, Tech Bay, and Armoury.

The power of these postures is dependent on the rank and skills of an attached CIC officer. Without an officer (and by extension, in Skirmish and Multiplayer), your ships can go to +4 Offensive to +4 Defensive. Adding a CIC officer will allow your ships to adopt more extreme stances, going as high as +9 or +10 to either offensive or defensive stances, making ships extremely powerful.

Offensive stances are powerful once your ships are in position, but the reduction in diving abilities (especially important as most Colonial ships have their guns aimed upwards) makes adopting offensive stances risky in multiplayer. A neutral stance provides the best manoeuvrability in turns, and the best vertical mobility necessary in multiplayer. Adopt a defensive stance when:
 * Your ship is under heavy attack; a defensive posture increases the power of the Engineering subsystem, which provides a damage reduction.
 * The ship is using flak to damage enemy fighters or missiles: flak effectiveness is determined by the Armoury subsystem.
 * To fight off boarding parties: the Armoury subsystem increases the number of Marines on your ship, as well as their Armour stat.
 * To increase scanning range: although a ship in a defensive posture will not move as quickly, a defensive posture will improve scanning range; allowing you to see the enemy before they see you.
 * To resist and counter Cylon hacking attacks: the Tech Bay subsystem determines the strength of your ship's Firewall, which Cylons must reduce to zero before hacking your subsystems.
 * To repair damaged subsystems: as with hacking, if at any point you need a crucial subsystem (like Navigation or Fire Control) repaired, adopt a defensive stance to get it repaired quickly.

Finally, there is also a Boost Thrusters option. Turning this on will reduce the effectiveness of all subsystems, but sharply increase your ship's speed. Thruster boosting reduces your ship's mobility, scanning range, and firepower, so use it only outside of battle.

Manticore Class
The Manticore Class is a swift corvette, with a strong emphasis on speed and its DRADIS range. This makes it the most effective Colonial scout ship. As guided weapons like missiles cannot be fired until targets have been identified, this makes the Manticore pair well with missile-oriented ships.

Compared to the Cylon Nemesis, the Manticore easily outguns its Cylon counterpart. By redirecting power to its tech bay, however, the Cylon Nemesis can have a DRADIS range in excess of 10 km - making it the superior scout in spite of its slower speed and greater fragility.

While the Manticore's guns aren't very accurate, their high rate of fire means that even if the shot misses, the next shot will already be on its way.

Campaign: As mentioned above, the Manticore is more than a match for the Cylon Nemeses you'll find early game. They will begin having problems against the Talon, which is more heavily armoured. Manticores quickly retire from the front lines to the support role, replaced by Adamants, Berzerks, and finally Battlestars.

Multiplayer: Most Colonial fleets, if they have enough points room, will employ at least one Manticore to quickly scout the enemy fleet and make them visible for missile attacks.

Official Description: ''Predominantly used for hit-and-run tactics and scouting missions, the Manticore also serves well in larger strike groups as a flanking element. Long range compatible missile tubes and an uncommon aft-facing turret configuration makes this a versatile fighter.''

Adamant Class
The Adamant class is a heavily armoured escort frigate, equipped for broadside engagements.

Essentially a mini-Battlestar, the Adamant provides exceptional durability for its cost. Its multitude of light weapons are effective at supporting friendly Vipers against enemy fighters, and at engaging smaller enemy escorts like the Nemesis class and the Cerastes class.

All of the Adamant's weapons are mounted to the side with firing angles facing upwards, making them unable to respond to attacks from the front, rear, or below. Keep your Adamants below enemy vessels to maximize their effectiveness.

Campaign: Adamants will remain at the forefront until you unlock the Artemis class Battlestar, which will often be used as a command ship with the Adamants backing it up. Despite their small size, they remain quite durable even into the late game. They remain a good counter to smaller, nimbler ships like the Cerastes which Battlestar Artillery will have problems hitting.

The Adamant class blueprint becomes available after Mission 3.

Multiplayer: Adamants are often relegated to a support role on multiplayer matches. Players prefer the Berzerk class' notable hangar bonuses if bringing a squadron is necessary.

Official Description: ''Designed by Sinon Quade a decade before the start of the Cylon War, the Adamant carrier and cruiser combo has become the cornerstone of many Colonial Fleet groups. What it lacks in speed, it makes up with its constant presence and firepower on the battlefield.''

Minotaur Class
The Minotaur Class is a gunship that fulfills the role of a gun cruiser. An Aerilon design, the Minotaur has many, many guns of varying size. This makes it highly effective against both smaller ships like the Cerastes and the Nemesis, as well as larger ships that it can train its guns on.

It is reasonably durable, while also being able to keep pace with your battlestars. It is also notable for being one of the few Colonial ships with ventral guns, giving it a fighting chance against ships below it. Being above its target, however, does limit the ship's broadside. At great distances, the Minotaur can get its dorsal, ventral, and port or starboard guns all firing at a single target.

The primary weakness of the Minotaur is that guns are all it brings. With no Vipers and no point defence ability, lone Minotaurs will find themselves chipped away by long range missile barrages, enemy fighters, and most notably, Cylon Heavy Raiders. Use Minotaurs to support battlestars, carriers, and missile ships to have their weaknesses covered.

The Minotaur Class becomes available after Mission 7.

Campaign: By the time this ship is unlocked, players will have access to the Artemis class Battlestar, which one or two Minotaurs can support with their additional gunfire. They make poor centerpieces for fleets, given their aforementioned weaknesses.

Multiplayer: Human players will exploit the Minotaur's weaknesses to a greater extent than the AI, making bringing a Minotaur a questionable proposition. As with the single player campaign, Minotaurs work best supporting the rest of the fleet.

Official Description: ''The Minotaur warship is a testament to the pragmatic nature of the Aerilan people; you build a ship, give it plenty of armour, and fit every other spare inch with guns. It is a cost-effective fixture for fleet groups looking to bulk up their firepower.''

Atlas Class
The Atlas class is a dedicated carrier with a better than average Squad Evasion stat. While its Squad Evade stat isn't as high as the Berzerk's, it brings along more craft and is exceptional at absorbing hits than the Berzerk. The Atlas' support squadron slot can only be filled with Raptors, Assault Raptors, or Sweepers.

While it is far from helpless, the Atlas' weapons are not as strong as a Battlestar's, and relegates it to a support role.

The Atlas becomes available after Mission 9.

Campaign: Using Atlases in the campaign is not too different from using the Minotaur: it is a question of taste. Bringing along multiple squadrons with only one capital ship is helpful, but some players prefer the firepower, mobility, and squadron survivability of Berzerks. Atlases generally make poor choices for command ships, though having a CAG officer in one can prove helpful.

Multiplayer: Most players will either have the Atlas perform on the front lines and have it absorb damage, or in the rear with its squadrons. Having multiple Viper squadrons is a must in multiplayer. The third slot depends on playstyle.

Official Description: ''The Atlas is an iconic remnant of Virgon's imperialist history. Slow and densely armoured, the Atlas carrier now provides powerful fighter support for modern Colonial fleet groups.''

Ranger Class
The Ranger is a missile cruiser, equipped with a pair of rapid-firing munitions slots. If ship experience is enabled, this salvo can become even larger. It is a bit on the flimsy side, so keep it protected.

Unlike most Colonial ships, the Ranger can perform well against targets below it, thanks to the downward arc of its pair of heavy guns and the omnidirectional nature of missiles. Rangers can function above your fleet, raining torpedoes down on Cylon vessels from above.

The Ranger becomes available after Mission 5.

Campaign: Unlocked alongside the Artemis, the Ranger is best used as a support ship. Keep it above targets and use guided missiles against smaller, faster targets like Nemeses and Cerastes, or unload constant streams of torpedoes against enemy Basestars.

Multiplayer: Its effectiveness on targets below it can make it a wild card against human players, some of whom will deal with Colonial fleets by constantly diving. Rangers can punish diving targets with missiles and gunfire.

Official Description: ''Originally a Picon specialist design, the Ranger class cruiser has more recently become morepopular throughout the Twelve Colonies. Its combination of long range dominance and skirmish-range turret configuration makes it a highly effective all-rounder in any strike group.''

Artemis Class
The Artemis Class Battlestar replaces the Adamant as the centerpiece of your fleets in the midgame. An excellent blend of mobility, armour, and firepower, the Artemis class can be relied upon to both dish out and take damage for your fleet. The acquisition of the Artemis marks the beginning of the mid-game, and can serve well enough as the centerpiece of your fleet until the finale.

Its primary weakness is its lack of medium caliber guns. The Battlestar Artillery on the ship's back hit very hard and fire slowly, but have trouble dealing with smaller, nimbler ships and fighter squadrons. The point defence weapons on the ship's broadside can deal with fighters, but do not have enough punch to adequately deal with smaller ships like the Cerastes. Its primary defence against such ships are its missile tubes. Ensure your Artemis has an adequate escort, and have it be below targets to use that Battlestar Artillery guns to great effect against larger ships.

Battlestars like the Artemis have access to the Flak special ability. When used, this creates a bubble of explosive shells to either the left or right of the ship, damaging any squadrons entering its field of effect and intercepting missiles and torpedoes. Use the flak with care, however: Flak not only damages your own Vipers, but also will shoot down your own missiles if used carelessly. Do not be the Artemis Captain who loads a nuke onto an Artemis and fires it into their own flak. The effectiveness of flak is determined by the Armoury subsystem, and cannot be used if the Armoury is offline.

Campaign: The strong survivability of this battlestar makes it the ideal command ship to stick an officer in. Ensure it remains protected, especially against Cylon torpedo spam. Flak can help against torpedoes and, to a lesser extent, Raiders.

Multiplayer: The Artemis fulfills a similar role in multiplayer as it does in single player. Remember that its effectiveness against targets above or below is limited, so do not carelessly dive with the Artemis and leave its dorsal or ventral armour vulnerable to torpedo salvoes.

Official Description: ''The Artemis Class Battlestar is the most commonly deployed command ship by Colonial Fleet. Moderate speed, high armour ratings, and aggressive turret battery placements make this battlestar a dominating force on the battlefield.''

Jupiter Class
The Battlestar Galactica herself is of this class. With a huge array of heavy guns, the Jupiter Class is as strong as it gets in terms of Battlestars. As with other Battlestars, the Jupiter does not have any medium or small-sized weapons. Point defence weapons are only marginally effective against Cylon warships. The Jupiter relies chiefly on its huge array of Battlestar Artillery volleys to deal damage to other large targets like Basestars.

Notably, unlike the other Colonial ships, Jupiters do have access to six Battlestar Artillery turrets on its belly, allowing it to perform reasonably well against all targets regardless of where they are.

Battlestars like the Jupiter have access to the Flak special ability. When used, this creates a bubble of explosive shells to either the left or right of the ship, damaging any squadrons entering its field of effect and intercepting missiles and torpedoes. Use the flak with care, however: Flak not only damages your own Vipers, but also will shoot down your own missiles if used carelessly. Do not be the Artemis Captain who loads a nuke onto an Artemis and fires it into their own flak. The effectiveness of flak is determined by the Armoury subsystem, and cannot be used if the Armoury is offline.

Campaign: At over 2,000 points, the Jupiter class is not advised for junior officers with a small fleet point limit. Taking a Jupiter into combat leaves little room for anything else. With higher ranked officers, however, the Jupiter can replace or support the Artemis against larger ships. Other players will continue to rely on the Artemis itself.

Multiplayer: The slow-moving Battlestars are often targets for things like EMP mines and utility craft like Assault Raptors, Raptors, Heavy Raiders, and Wardrivers. Bringing along a Jupiter for 4,000 point games is ill-advised. Jupiters pair well with other larger, slower ships like the Atlas and the Janus.

Official Description:

Berzerk Class
The Berzerk Class is a light escort carrier. What it lacks in protection, it makes up for with excellent firepower, low cost, and the most effective Colonial hangar system.

If you have the Reinforcements DLC, this ship is unlocked at the start of the game.

Campaign: Early game fleets will usually consist of the Adamant class supported by this vessel. The Berzerk does more damage but cannot take the beating the Adamant can. These two ships will compliment each other well until you unlock the Artemis class Battlestar. After unlocking the Artemis, the Berzerk remains notable for its highly effective hangar system. 50 points of Squad Evasion can stack with both a CAG officer and veterancy bonuses (if enabled) to get in excess of 77 Squad Evasion. Equip this Berzerk with Mark 2 Vipers and they will be nearly impossible to kill.

Multiplayer: Squadrons are very important in multiplayer, and experienced players often have their fighters focus down Raptors, Assault Raptors, Wardrivers, and Heavy raiders. The higher than average Squad Evade can either help these support squadrons with higher survivability, or let you be more aggressive with your Vipers.

Official Description: ''The Berzerk class carrier is a fast and effective force multiplier. The carrier is not designed to survive prolonged engagements by itself. However, when supporting a battlestar or strike group, it can provide powerful complementary firepower and squadron support.

Janus Class
The Janus Class is a powerful missile cruiser that performs similarly to the Ranger class. While the Ranger has rapid-reloading munitions slots, the Janus prefers to dump all its damage into a single spike. With a 120% munitions salvo size that only gets larger with veterancy bonuses and a large amount of dorsal weapons, the Janus will fly above its targets and rain torpedoes and missiles below.

The Janus does not gain any bonus from nukes, so avoid equipping the Janus with a single-shot weapon.

Campaign: The Janus is a powerful missile cruiser that can also absorb a fair amount of damage on its own. Equip it with torpedoes and unload them against stationary targets like Basestars. Ensure a Celestra is on hand to resupply the Janus and keep it in the fight.

Multiplayer: Unlike most Colonial vessels, the Janus is highly effective against targets below it. The Janus is also notable for its total lack of broadside or dorsal guns, making it helpless against targets above it. With only heavy guns and only 135 Marines on board, the Janus is also extremely vulnerable to Heavy Raiders.

Official Description:

Celestra Class
The Celestra support vessel carries no weapons, but instead offers remote drones to apply up to 20 extra points of armour to any vessel for a given facing. It also has access to resupply Raptors to resupply friendly vessels with additional munitions - even nukes.

When given the order to apply armour, the Celestra grants 30 units of armour to its drones, which will apply 20 units of armour to the target. The drones will stay on station and apply the remaining 10 points to the armour facing as it takes damage before returning to the Celestra to take another 30 units.

The applied armour does not expire or deteriorate outside of enemy attack, so you can have your Celestra apply additional armour to other ships or to a different facing. Multiple Celestras can apply armour faster, but they cannot apply more than 20 additional armour to any facing.

Celestras also have two munitions slots that can be swapped with other ships using resupply raptors. The supply raptors will take the munitions slot on the Celestra and swap it with the munitions slot on another vessel. When the resupply Raptors return to the Celestra, it will take the capital ship's original munitions slot and apply it to the Celestra. It is a straight swap and it cannot be used to "top off" used munitions. Ensure the Celestra is carrying the correct munitions before the battle begins; it carries two slots of guided missiles by default.

Campaign: During the campaign, the addition of a Celestra class vessel does not consume any fleet points, making the Celestra an easy addition to any fleet. The AI will often focus the Celestra down, especially with missiles, so ensure the Celestra remains behind your battlestar fleet where missile attacks will be intercepted.

Multiplayer: Although the armour is useful, multiplayer fleets do not have a support slot. Consuming 550 fleet points for a ship that does not contribute to damage is not always a good idea. 20 extra armour on any given facing on any ship, however, can be very helpful against opponents who focus their firepower.

Official Description: ''The Celestra class support was originally a self-sustaining civilian research ship that was coopted by Colonial Fleet. This support uses remote drones to apply adaptive armour plating. A resupply depot has been retrofitted into the hangar, allowing Raptor crews to make supply runs mid-mission to fleet cruisers and battlestars.''

Defender Class
The Orion Class will be released along with the Ghost Fleet DLC. This page will be updated when the DLC releases. It is known that the Orion will have at least one fighter slot and at least one munition slot.

Unique to the Orion will be its Stealth Mode. While it can still be shot at and physically seen, missiles cannot be launched at it while under stealth, nor can the ship be the target of focused fire.

Campaign: Unreleased content.

Multiplayer: Unreleased content.

Official Description: Unreleased content.

Orion Class
The Defender Class will be released along with the Ghost Fleet DLC. This page will be updated when the DLC releases.

Similar to the Cylon Gorgon, the Defender Class is a support vessel, being an alternative to the Celestra. The Defender has an underslung hangar with an extremely fast repair rate, and damaged squadrons can either return to their home base or land at the Defender for faster repair.

The Defender also features a Technical Support Raptor that improves allied ship's subsystems.

Defenders also sport a special contingent of Marines that can be deployed to friendly ships and have them fight off enemy boarders.

Campaign: Unreleased content.

Multiplayer: Unreleased content.

Official Description: Unreleased content.