Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares/Strategies

These are the most common strategies for beating Master of Orion. Using these strategies will help you overpower your opponents, after which, you can win the game any way you please, by galactic senate, eliminating all opponents, or by destroying Antares (if enabled). These strategies mostly apply to the beginning of the game, during end game they all blend together. Your strategy will almost always be determined by your racial statistics. See Master of Orion II/Some effective race designs for some good races.

Blitz
This strategy is most often used by feudalistic governed, production type races. It involves quickly finding and crushing your enemy. The idea is to crush your enemy before he has the time to research high level technology, and is thus best used against tech heavy races. This strategy works best in smaller galaxies, and with fewer enemies. The most important thing to remember is that you must be fast.

Research
Begin by researching vital techs. Getting Deuterium fuel cells is a great choice, as it will miniaturize your nuclear missiles, and allow you to more easily get to your enemy's planets. That's probably the only essential tech, though automated factories and reinforced hull couldn't hurt.

Production
Begin producing outpost ships, transport ships and missile ships. (see Master of Orion II/Warship design) The outpost ships will allow you to make a path to the enemy's territory. Once you have a route, move your missile ships and transports into orbit, and begin the invasion. Do your best not to harm the populace, just take out the defenses.

Assimilation
Now that you have a "slave empire" of the captured enemy planets, you can easily continue building your tech tree, and improve your fleet for your next conquest. See Master of Orion II/Planning and winning wars for more information.

Expansion
This strategy is most often used by tolerant, subterranean or aquatic races. It is best used against tech heavy races, and does not work very well in multiplayer games. The expansion strategy is simply colonize everything. It works best in large galaxies where you can go a long time without even meeting other races. Given the time to set up, an entrenched expansionist empire can be nearly undefeatable.

Research
Research necessary techs to quickly create colony ships. Automated Factories, Pollution Processor and Soil Enrichment is usually enough to be able to pump them out every 10 turns or so. If it is still taking too long, go for robo-miners.

Colonization
Have your home planet start pumping out colony ships. Colonize the best planets first, but once you run out, colonize the bad ones too. When your second planet reaches its max population, (or near to it) consider building a missile ship to defend your sprawling empire.

End Game
Soon, you will be able to make a colony ship in just five or six turns. Don't stop colonizing. Have a second planet build a defensive fleet, and climb the tech tree with your remaining colonies. Given enough time, an expansionist empire can "out-tech" nearly any other race, and have the production power to use it. Begin plans for crushing your enemy, or just elect yourself ruler of the galaxy.

Technology Blitz
The Technology Blitz is the best strategy vs. the computer. It is also the worst against human players because expansion and blitz races can easily overpower them. The important thing to the technologist, is time. A large galaxy is essential, it will keep the enemy off your back until you can reach the point where your superior technology will give you the edge over the enemy.

Races will be obviously geared to technology, usually having either creative, democracy or research bonuses.

Research
Research. Have one worker "stockpile" (see Master of Orion II/Speeding up production) so that you can build your researched structures quickly. Get Automated Factories, Research Laboratory and Pollution Processor A.S.A.P. Colonize the biggest planet you can find.

Colonize
When your second colony has sufficient population, move it to research and have your home planet build colony ships. Colonize until all the high population planets are colonized (5 pop or more). Poor is O.K., but toxic and high/low gravity is not. Do not overextend beyond what you can protect. Ideally you want to colonize all the planets in a star system, because every planet the enemy captures gives him some of your technology.

Warship from Hell
Build a destroyer or cruiser missile ship, or if you have enough physics and computers, get a beam ship. Make sure to build missile bases on all your planets. Soon you will be able to terraform all your planets to max population, and then research like mad. A short while later, you will have high level miniaturized technology, and can build a Warship from Hell.

Production
This strategy is similar to the blitz, but not quite the same. It is used by high production races, with non-feudal governments, races that have the ability to research fairly quickly. It is the most average of the strategies, moving through the game at a good pace and relying on production bonuses to get a fleet up faster than the technologists, and better equipped than the blitzers.

This strategy is most often used by races with good production bonuses and the unification government, like the Klackon.

Research
Start by researching some good production technologies. Automated Factories, Hydroponic Farms, Soil Enrichment, and Pollution Processor will do nicely. Colonize the biggest richest planet you can find, which is probably barren/radiated. Use freighters to feed it.

Expand
Expand your empire with colony ships, but make sure you keep some scientists at all times, falling behind in technology will be fatal. Keep the maximum number of ships your command points will allow, and refit constantly to your ships current.

End Game
You should now have a good sized empire, with decent technology. It will be flexible since you can switch from scientists to speedy shipbuilders quickly. You can continue to expand or begin production of a fleet. Graviton beam or higher is recommended as your weapon of choice.