Playing against other players requires an entirely different skillset to playing in the campaign against the AI. While multiplayer tactics will work in the campaign against the AI, the reverse is rarely true.
Before diving into multiplayer:
- Know the Colonial and Cylon ships. Walking into a multiplayer match and asking "What does that ship do?" handicaps you at first engagement.
- Have a plan. The Cylons did, you can too. It's optional, but recommended, to have a backup plan.
Fleet Types[edit]
When building a fleet, you will usually base your fleet around one of four types.
- The Gun Fleet will usually use speed to close to knife-fighting distance, and pound your fleet to dust under heavy cannonade. Gun fleets are short-ranged knife fighters, the hardest to put together, and the second-hardest to operate. Traditionally they are weak against missile fleets and strong against carrier fleets.
- The Missile Fleet will employ a mix of speed and range to keep you at a distance. They will rain missiles and torpedoes at you, and lay mines in your fleet's path. Missile fleets are mid-ranged fighters, fighting at a distance against gun fleets while rushing in against carrier fleets.
- The Carrier Fleet relies on squadrons to deal damage and whittle them down. Carrier fleets will always flee from stand-up fights, but will win fighter exchanges against any of the other fleet types. Carrier fleets are long-ranged fighters, relying on Raptors, Vipers, Wardrivers, and Raiders to intercept enemy missiles and disarm the mines of missile fleets. Carrier fleets have fewer options against gun fleets.
- The Balanced Fleet is one that does not rely on any of the above. They are the easiest to build but the hardest to operate. Balanced fleet players rely on their knowledge of individual ships to exploit your weaknesses. They will know what ship you have just by watching the movement of your DRADIS blip before you are even identified.
Remember that these are merely fleet archetypes, and even a "pure" fleet will have at least some elements of the other two. Cylon carriers will often have more than a few missiles, Colonial battlestars have heavy guns in addition to missiles, and nearly every ship has guns.
Keeping these archetypes in mind and what they are traditionally strong or weak against, build your fleet to help cover these weaknesses. Missile fleets will need fighters to tie up enemy fighters to let their missiles through, and carrier fleets will need a ship that can flee when the enemy catches up to your carriers.
Gun Fleets[edit]
Gun fleets must rely on speed and strength to mindfully rush their opponents. Going to full throttle and diving headfirst into the enemy will result in unnecessary losses. Ensure you have a way to counter fighters, missiles and mines as you close the distance. Make use of terrain to cover your fleet as you move in.
The Cylon gun fleet will usually consist of a Cratus or Argos backed up with Arachnes and Revenants. As the Cylons lack heavy hitting gunships, most Cylon fleets will go either the missile or carrier routes. Gun fleets will need Wardrivers, Scorpions, and Comets to deal with missiles, as well as Raiders to tie up enemy fighters. Against a carrier fleet, you will never win the Raider/Viper battle, so ensure your fleet remains protected against these threats at least until you enter gun range.
Colonial gun fleets will usually consist of a battlestar of any type (usually either a Jupiter or an Artemis, but Minervas can be used as well) backed with the Minotaur, Heracles, and other escorts. Colonials will often use Sweepers and Flak to deal with incoming missiles as they approach, with Raptors and Sweepers disarming any mines that are impeding the fleet's progress. Debris Mines can create huge no-go zones for fighters.
Missile Fleets[edit]
Missile fleets rely on speed and distance. Carrier-oriented fleets will need to be rushed, while gun fleets will need to be kept out of range. In addition to your missiles, ensure to have some scouting ships to identify enemies so you can get a lock. Enemy fighters will also be a problem, as they will intercept your missiles before turning on the rest of your fleet.
Colonial missile fleets are rare, but doable with vessels like the fragile Ranger and more durable Janus. Minervas also work, but their fragility coupled with slow speed makes them difficult to use.
Most missile fleets will thus be Cylon. Standard Basestars and the Argos both carry large amounts of missiles and fighters both. Adding the Cratus will provide the carrier fleet with a chance against enemy gun fleets that close the distance, provided they are not overwhelmed.
Carrier Fleets[edit]
Carrier fleets will do their best to win fighter exchanges before unleashing their swarm, leaving you weak enough for their guns to finish you off. Remember that carriers rely on their fighter wings to deal damage: a carrier fleet player will not be concerned with the loss of carriers to torpedoes, as their opponent will run out of torpedoes before they run out of carriers.
Colonial carrier fleets will be based around the Artemis, Atlas, and Berzerk. Manticores and Adamants equipped with EMP mines can dart into range and delay the enemy, giving fighters more time to work.
Cylon carrier fleets will, naturally, include several Basestars, Argoses, and Cerberuses. Adding a few Talons and Cerastes to help contribute to the fighter engagement while fulfilling scouting duties.
Balanced Fleets[edit]
Balanced fleet players are unpredictable. More than any of the other fleet types, they know all the ships in the game inside and out. As soon as they scout your fleet (or sometimes even before), they will identify in what manner their fleet is better than yours: either in the missile, carrier, or gun category as mentioned above. They will then play their own fleet accordingly.
A balanced fleet doesn't consist of one of every vessel, but rather has at least some element of the three roles listed above. A balanced fleet that wins the fighter exchange will play for range and attrition; a balanced fleet that loses the fighter exchange will rush in while it still can.
Fleet Building Checklist[edit]
When building a fleet, ensure you have these questions considered or answered:
- Which of the four fleet archetypes am I playing for? How do I mitigate its weaknesses?
- Do I have ships that support each other well? Do I have a slow-moving Jupiter being escorted by fast-moving Berzerks and Adamants?
- How do I answer large missile barrages? Not just the odd four missile salvo from a Nemesis or Manticore, but over 100 torpedoes fired all at once? Basestars and Januses in particular dump huge amounts of missiles on targets.
- How do I fight off strike craft? Think about using your own fighters, Colonial Debris Mines, and the Cylon Cerastes gunship. Similarly, expect to face Mark 2 Vipers and Cylon Raiders; Mark 1 Vipers and Raider Prototypes are rarely seen.
- Do I have something that can disarm mines? Mines have a huge area of effect, making clumping your fleet together a terrible idea. EMP mines in particular can cause you to spend multiple turns repairing your subsystems instead of chasing down your enemy or dealing damage.
- Do I have a recon Manticore or Nemesis, and if not, how do I plan to scout the enemy for missile locks? Remember that DRADIS is a cylinder around your unit with infinite vertical range, so flying a Raptor or Wardriver at maximum elevation is a valid scouting method.
- Where are the guns on most of my ships? Most Battlestars have their artillery on the top, so enemies must not get too far above them. The Cylon Arachne has no protection from the bottom.
- Have I loaded the right munitions? Battlestars, for example, rarely perform well as missile carriers; loading up a nuke on your battlestar and losing it to your own flak screen is highly embarassing.
Co-op[edit]
Co-operative play is not at all popular, and remains extremely limited. After selecting which fleet both players play as (it is possible to have Cylons and Colonials on the same side), they are deployed against an uncustomizable 8,000 point Cylon fleet. The battle is then resolved as a normal skirmish battle.