Star Wars Rebellion ____ _ __ __ / ___|| |_ __ _ _ _ / /_ _ _ __ ___ ___ | __/ _` | '__ / / / _` | '__/ __| ___) | || (_| | | V V / (_| | | __ |____/ ____,_|_| _/_/ __,_|_| |___/ ____ _ _ _ | _ ___| |__ ___| | (_) ___ _ ___ | |_) / _ '_ / _ | | |/ _ | '_ | _ < __/ |_) | __/ | | | (_) | | | | |_| ____|_.__/ ___|_|_|_|___/|_| |_| ===== STAR WARS REBELLION ===== IMPERIAL SHIP GUIDE ===== Author: Sashanan (sashanan@chello.nl) Date: 14 October 2002 Version: 1.02 DISCLAIMER This document is copyright 2001-2002 Sashanan. All rights reserved. You are allowed to do the following: - Make copies (electronical or physical) for your own, personal use; - Post this FAQ on a non-commercial, freely accessible web site. My permission is not required, however, the FAQ must be posted in its full, original form, including this notice, and credited to Sashanan. You are not allowed to: - Make money off this FAQ in any imaginable way. - Post this FAQ on a commercial site without my explicit written permission. - Use this FAQ, or part of it in magazines, guides, books, etc. without my explicit written permission. - Edit this FAQ in any way, use it as a basis for your own FAQ, or post this FAQ without giving proper credit. This is considered plagiarism. ================= TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= - About this FAQ - Imperial ships x Ship list x Research order x Ship details x Death Star details x Suggested names - Revision history - Final words =========================================================================== ABOUT THIS FAQ =========================================================================== This FAQ describes every ship in the Imperial arsenal, using the game's statistics and my own advice regarding each ship type. The guide consists of a quick overview of all ships, the order in which they can be researched, a detailed description of each of the 18 ship types, a special section regarding the Death Star, and finally, suggested names for many ship types. A similar FAQ of Rebel ship types may be found at www.gamefaqs.com. =========================================================================== IMPERIAL SHIPS =========================================================================== --------- Ship list --------- This is a quick overview of all Imperial ships. Refer to 'ship details' for more accurate data. Cost: the cost of this ship in refined materials. Construction time is also a direct factor of this: it is equal to (cost x 4) / number of shipyards, and an advanced shipyard counts as two. So, one standard shipyard could build an Assault Transport (cost 12) in 48 days. VS starships: my interpretation of this ship's effectiveness against starships. From low to high, the terms I use are: Very weak, Weak, Moderate, Strong, Very Strong and Brutal. I base this on the presence and strength of laser turrets and ion cannons, as well as shield strength. (The Death Star cannot be harmed by starships.) VS fighters: this ship's effectiveness against starfighters, based on the presence and strength of laser cannons, as well as shield strength. (The Death Star can only be harmed by starfighters specifically performing a Death Star strike.) SHIP NAME COST VS STARSHIPS VS FIGHTERS FC TC Assault Transport 12 very weak very strong 0 1 Carrack Light Cruiser 26 weak strong 0 0 Death Star 584 immune vulnerable 24 18 Galleon 10 very weak very weak 0 2 Imperial Dreadnaught 44 strong very weak 1 2 Imperial Escort Carrier 34 very weak moderate 6 0 Imperial Star Destroyer 112 very strong very weak 6 3 Imperial II Star Destroyer 158 brutal weak 6 3 Interdictor Cruiser 40 weak strong 0 0 Lancer Frigate 14 very weak brutal 0 0 Star Galleon 15 very weak moderate 0 3 Strike Cruiser 70 very strong weak 1 0 Super Star Destroyer 282 brutal moderate 12 9 TIE Bomber 3 strong weak 0 0 TIE Defender 5 strong very strong 0 0 TIE Fighter 3 weak moderate 0 0 TIE Interceptor 3 weak strong 0 0 Victory Destroyer 68 strong very weak 2 2 Victory II Star Destroyer 72 very strong weak 2 0 -------------- Research order -------------- At the start of the game, the following ship types are available to the Imperial player: Carrack Light Cruiser Death Star Galleon Imperial Dreadnaught Imperial Escort Carrier Imperial Star Destroyer TIE Fighter Victory Star Destroyer The following ship types must still be researched. Whenever research is completed, the next ship in line will become available (i.e. the TIE Bomber is always first, and the Super Star Destroyer is always last). TIE Bomber Lancer Frigate TIE Interceptor Star Galleon Assault Transport Interdictor Cruiser Victory II Star Destroyer TIE Defender Strike Cruiser Imperial II Star Destroyer Super Star Destroyer Research is automatic, but slow. The pace of your ship research may be improved by assigning one or more characters to ship research. Eligible characters are Thrawn and Bevel Lemelisk, both of which must be recruited first. ------------ Ship details ------------ In this section, all Imperial ships except for the Death Star are described in detail, with all relevant statistics. Here's what they all mean: Cost: how many refined materials are needed to build one of these ships. This also determines the time needed for construction. Maintenance: how much maintenance points are needed to keep this ship running. Remember that you must keep your maintenance pool above 0 at all times, or you will randomly lose ships, troops and facilities. Fighter capacity: how many squadrons of fighters this ship can carry. Although a limitless number of fighters can operate from a planet, you can only take fighters into space battles if you have capital ships to operate them from. Troop capacity: how many regiments of troops this ship can carry. You can freely move troops between your own planets without needing a fleet, but if you intend to assault planets, troop ships are necessary. Shield strength: how much punishment a ship's shields can take. While a ship's shields are up, the hull will not be hit, and the chance of suffering damage to vital systems is greatly reduced (but not eliminated). In addition, shields gradually recharge, something a hull cannot do. Hyperdrive rating: this indicates how fast a ship is in hyperspace. Lower ratings are better. Damage may result in slower hyperspace travel, or even prevent it outright. Hull strength: the (remaining) hull strength of a capital ship. Once a ship's shields are down, further hits damage the hull. If a ship's hull strength is reduced to 0, the ship is destroyed. Starfighters do not have a hull strength. Rather, once they lose their shields, further hits may eliminate part of the squadron, and repeated attacks will destroy it entirely. Squadrons may be depleted, but individual starfighters never take on damage. Damage control: a ship's capability of resisting damage. The higher this is, the less likely an enemy hit is to cause damage to vital systems. Shield recharge rate: this indicates how quickly a ship can recharge its shields after taking hits. If a ship takes damage, this tends to be the first system to go. As a result, repeated attacks may eventually breach a ship's shields even if the recharge rate is high enough to theoretically resist the attack. Tractor beam: this indicates the presence and strength of tractor beams on a ship. Tractor beams are automatically employed against fleeing enemy ships, and will slow them down (their effective speed will be equal to sublight engine rating - tractor beam strength). This gives you a better chance of destroying them before they can escape. Sublight engine rating: how fast is this ship in battles? This rating does not affect travel time in hyperspace, but ships with good sublight engine ratings can get from one end of the sector to another quickly in space battles. Maneuverability: how quickly this ship can execute turns. For starfighters, this greatly contributes to the ability to evade damage. For capital ships, it is an important part of bringing their biggest weapons to bear, since these tend to be focused on one side of the craft. Detection rate: this has no effect on battle. Rather, it is a capital's ship chance of detecting enemy saboteurs and foiling their mission. The higher a ship's detection rate, the more difficult it is to sabotage. This rating is cumulative with any troops on the fleet - ships with troops on board are much harder to infiltrate and sabotage, particularly if they have a good General. Weapon recharge: this indicates how quickly a ship can fire its weapons. The higher the weapon recharge rate, the quicker the rate of fire. Obviously, ships with high recharge rates are far more deadly than those that are constantly recharging. Bombardment rate: this ship's effectiveness at planetary bombardments. Whenever a bombardment is issued, the bombardment rate of all starships and bombers in your fleet are combined and the result is measured against the bombardment defense rate of everything on the planet. Shields are targeted first; if the fleet's bombardment rate is high enough to get through, the next targets are laser and ion cannons, troop regiments, shipyards and training facilities (military bombardment) or construction yards, refineries and mines (civilian bombardment). Turbo lasers: these powerful cannons are intended for use against starships, and do only little damage to starfighters. They are typically found on big warships. Ion cannons: these cannons have a greater chance of doing damage to vital systems (even when the target still has shields), but cause no actual hull damage. However, if a ship without shields takes an ion hit, there is a chance it becomes temporarily disabled, causing it to stop dead and be helpless for a limited time. Powerful warships like the Imperial Star Destroyer can bring enough ion cannons to bear to pin a ship down and destroy it once it has lost its shields. Laser cannons: these small, quick-firing cannons are meant for use against starfighters. They are found both on superiority fighters and on certain starships, like Corvettes and Lancer Frigates. They are not very effective against starships. Torpedoes: X-Wings, Y-Wings, B-Wings, TIE Bombers and TIE Defenders have torpedoes at their disposal, and use them against capital ships for significant damage. The drawback of torpedoes is that they cannot penetrate shields. Fighters will not employ them until their target has lost its shields - but once they do, a few squads of fighters can do massive damage. ASSAULT TRANSPORT Cost: 12 Maintenance: 29 Fighter capacity: 0 Troop capacity: 1 Shield strength: 300 Hyperdrive rating: 50 Hull strength: 320 Damage control: 10 Shield recharge: 15 Tractor beam: 0 Sublight engine rating: 8 Maneuverability: 3 Detection rate: 1 Weapon recharge: 10 Bombardment rate: 0 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 0 0 0 0 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 150 0 60 60 Game description: Assault Transports are designed to deliver Imperial assault troops anywhere in the galaxy with little or no escort. While only capable of carrying one regiment, the Assault Transport has the firepower, speed, and maneuverability to attack lightly defended systems without escort. Additionally, Assault Transports are equipped with the fastest available hyperdrive systems. My description: Though somewhat useful as an anti-starfighter platform in larger fleets, the Assault Transport is also very capable of working alone. This will allow the ship to make use of its excellent hyperdrive rating, as it will not have to wait for other ships to catch up. The best use of an Assault Transport is to scout Rim systems, hopping from planet to planet, to find the Rebel Headquarters. They can also be used to run a quick recon on Rebel core systems. Make sure you withdraw if you run into capital ships, but feel free to engage small fighter garrisons. The Assault Transport has enough firepower to handle a wing of fighters (but be more careful around Y-Wings and B-Wings, their ion cannons can raise nasty surprises). I recommend putting a regiment of troopers in the Assault Transport at all times - not to invade planets with, but to guard the ship against sabotage. Very weak against starships Very strong against starfighters No fighter capacity Limited troop capacity Very high speed Low cost CARRACK LIGHT CRUISER Cost: 26 Maintenance: 24 Fighter capacity: 0 Troop capacity: 0 Shield strength: 200 Hyperdrive rating: 60 Hull strength: 1000 Damage control: 30 Shield recharge: 10 Tractor beam: 1 Sublight engine rating: 6 Maneuverability: 2 Detection rate: 20 Weapon recharge: 6 Bombardment rate: 1 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 5 5 15 15 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 60 60 90 90 Game description: The Carrack Light Cruiser is by far the fastest Imperial escort ship. Approximately 350 meters in length, it carries a crew of just over one thousand and an ample amount of firepower. It is well suited for a variety of escort and combat missions. My description: At the start of the game, this is the Empire's prime anti-starfighter platform. As such, it is an important part of any early fleet you plan on deploying. It is a good idea to bring one along in a task force of Dreadnaughts or Star Destroyers, or two if you expect heavy starfighter opposition. In combat, these ships should focus on enemy fighters alone, and try to stay away from heavy combat ships. They can defend themselves against small enemy craft (Corvette size or smaller), but they are not meant to be used against enemy starships. Weak against starships Strong against starfighters No fighter/troop capacity High speed Low cost GALLEON Cost: 10 Maintenance: 10 Fighter capacity: 0 Troop capacity: 2 Shield strength: 100 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 0 0 0 0 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: This older model starship dates from the time of the Old Republic. Specifically designed as a transport ship, the Galleon is completely unarmed. Later adopted by the Empire, the Galleon now serves mainly as a troop transport. My description: This is the Empire's cheap solution to the problem of troop carrying. The Galleon is quick and very cheap to build, and can be used to carry troops meant for planetary assault. They should never be used alone, as they are completely unarmed and very vulerable. Rather, attach a few of these ships to a task force containing warships, and fill them up with troops. Keep them away from the enemy during space battles, and use them when the time comes to invade hostile worlds. An extra advantage of having troop-packed Galleons in your fleet is that these troops will help combat sabotage missions, particularly if you assign a General. Very weak against starships and starfighters (unarmed) Limited troop capacity High speed Very low cost IMPERIAL DREADNAUGHT Cost: 44 Maintenance: 33 Fighter capacity: 1 Troop capacity: 2 Shield strength: 200 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 40 20 70 70 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: The Dreadnaught is an ancient heavy cruiser that dates from the time of the Old Republic. Standard Imperial Dreadnaughts are basically the same as the original Old Republic Dreadnaughts except they now carry a hangar deck for a squadron of TIE Fighters. Because of its relatively slow speed, the Imperial Dreadnaught primarily serves as a convoy escort or patrol ship. My description: One of the cheapest warships the Imperial player has at its disposal, the Dreadnaught can be very effective against small Rebel starships, such as Corvettes and Nebulon-B Frigates. It is best used against anti-starfighter vessels which are not capable of dealing with enemy starships. Against front line ships, the Dreadnaught cannot bring enough firepower to bear to be truly effective, unless you bring several along. Keep in mind that the Dreadnaught's main fire power lies on its port and starboard sides, so try to turn one of these sides to your opponent when engaging. And be on your guard for enemy Y-Wings and B-Wings, the Dreadnaught cannot handle them well. Strong against starships Very weak against starfighters Very limited fighter capacity Limited troop capacity Slow speed Low cost IMPERIAL ESCORT CARRIER Cost: 34 Maintenance: 30 Fighter capacity: 6 Troop capacity: 0 Shield strength: 200 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 1000 Damage control: 5 Shield recharge: 10 Tractor beam: 0 Sublight engine rating: 3 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 4 Weapon recharge: 4 Bombardment rate: 0 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 0 0 0 0 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 30 30 60 60 Game description: Imperial Escort Carriers were designed to complement a fleet's starfighter capacity and provide a hyperspace capable platform for TIE class fighters to use during hyperspace transport. Escort Carriers are very lightly armed and shielded, but are capable of carrying entire wings of fighters and shuttles. My description: If you are looking for a cheap way to bring along many squadrons of TIEs, this is the ship you are looking for. They are useful from the beginning of the game and will continue to be effective later on. They carry as many fighters as an Imperial Star Destroyer, at a third of the cost. In addition, they have decent anti-starfighter capabilities and good shields, contrary to what the game's description suggests. You definitely want to add one to any fleet meaning business, and two or three won't hurt. Just make sure you fill them up with TIEs, that's what they are for. Very weak against starships Moderate against starfighters High fighter capacity No troop capacity Low cost IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER Cost: 112 Maintenance: 71 Fighter capacity: 6 Troop capacity: 3 Shield strength: 300 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 2750 Damage control: 30 Shield recharge: 15 Tractor beam: 3 Sublight engine rating: 4 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 10 Weapon recharge: 20 Bombardment rate: 2 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 100 40 60 60 Ion Cannons 100 40 40 40 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: The Empire's awesome, wedge-shaped, Imperial-class Star Destroyers form the core of the Imperial Navy. True marvels of starship engineering, Imperial Star Destroyers are 1600 meters long and have over one hundred weapon emplacements for deep-space combat. My description: This is the main warship of the Empire, and once you have seen them in combat, you will realize why. Although somewhat costly, these ships can carry both fighters and troops into the battle, are very sturdy, and have impressive firepower on the front. The only weakness of the Imperial Star Destroyer is its lack of starfighter defenses, but putting a few effective TIE models in its hangars will counter that. Besides, even a large number of enemy starfighters will be hard pressed to get through this ship's shields without help from capital ships, and those will definitely take a beating if they even get close. Every fleet you use should be centered around one or two of these ships - if you can afford them. Very strong against starships Very weak against starfighters High fighter capacity Moderate troop capacity Good shields High cost IMPERIAL II STAR DESTROYER Cost: 158 Maintenance: 99 Fighter capacity: 6 Troop capacity: 3 Shield strength: 800 Hyperdrive rating: 60 Hull strength: 3000 Damage control: 35 Shield recharge: 20 Tractor beam: 3 Sublight engine rating: 4 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 10 Weapon recharge: 40 Bombardment rate: 2 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 200 60 120 120 Ion Cannons 200 20 80 80 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: An upgraded version of the Imperial Star Destroyer which boasts a heavily reinforced hull and more powerful heavy turbolaser batteries and ion cannons. My description: This variant of the Imperial Star Destroyer is very, very powerful. It has almost three times the shield strength of the standard one, much more powerful armament, and a weapon recharge rate such as you have never seen on your previous ships. They make excellent flagships for your fleets, and with just a little anti-starfighter support from a Lancer Frigate, they can easily defeat several Rebel starships alone (assuming, of course, that you are not going to charge into the middle of a quartet of Bulwark Battle Cruisers). The Imperial II is well worth the extra cost and maintenance as compared to the original model. Brutal against starships Weak against starfighters High fighter capacity Moderate troop capacity Very good shields High cost INTERDICTOR CRUISER Cost: 40 Maintenance: 34 Fighter capacity: 0 Troop capacity: 0 Shield strength: 600 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 1200 Damage control: 10 Shield recharge: 15 Tractor beam: 0 Sublight engine rating: 4 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 30 Weapon recharge: 7 Bombardment rate: 0 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 10 0 20 20 Ion Cannons 0 0 10 10 Laser Cannons 90 0 60 60 Game description: The 600-meter long star cruiser is built on a standard, heavy-cruiser hull, but it carries an artificial gravity-well generator and four gravity-well projectors which, when activated, prevent nearby starships from escaping into hyperspace. My description: This highly specialized ship is meant for one thing only - keeping those annoying Rebels from hitting your fleet and running before you can take them down. As long as your Interdictor is active, they simply cannot enter hyperspace. This allows you to finally use the firepower of your big warships to destroy Rebel capital ships. Every fleet meant for heavy space battle should include an Interdictor for this purpose. They are capable of defending themselves against starfighters, and have powerful shields. They will need them, because you can expect the Rebels to aggressively target this ship. Take two along when in doubt, they aren't that expensive. Weak against starships Strong against starfighters No fighter/troop capacity Very good shields Moderate cost LANCER FRIGATE Cost: 14 Maintenance: 30 Fighter capacity: 0 Troop capacity: 0 Shield strength: 300 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 500 Damage control: 20 Shield recharge: 15 Tractor beam: 0 Sublight engine rating: 6 Maneuverability: 3 Detection rate: 30 Weapon recharge: 10 Bombardment rate: 0 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 0 0 0 0 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 150 150 150 150 Game description: The Lancer Frigate is a 250-meter long, capital combat starship that the Empire designed specifically to combat Rebel starfighters. These vessels were designed by the Empire shortly after a small number of Rebel X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters destroyed the Death Star battle station. My description: If Rebel starfighters have been bothering you (and they tend to), this ship is what you've been waiting for. The Lancer Frigate provides great starfighter protection at a very agreeable cost. In addition, it is very hard to sabotage. The Lancer has the shields and firepower to resist most starfighter attacks, and is best used in conjunction with heavy warships, which cannot handle starfighters by themselves. Together, an Imperial Star Destroyer and two Lancer Frigates can take care of a sizable Rebel fleet. Try to keep Lancers away from enemy capital ships. They cannot do much damage to them, and even their powerful shields will not hold long against sustained turbolaser fire. And once those shields are gone, a disgustingly weak hull is revealed... Weak against starships Brutal against starfighters No fighter capacity No troop capacity Moderate cost STAR GALLEON Cost: 15 Maintenance: 20 Fighter capacity: 0 Troop capacity: 3 Shield strength: 200 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 400 Damage control: 5 Shield recharge: 10 Tractor beam: 0 Sublight engine rating: 3 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 4 Weapon recharge: 4 Bombardment rate: 0 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 0 0 0 0 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 0 30 30 30 Game description: The 300-meter long Imperial Star Galleon is designed to conbine the cargo space of a bulk freighter with the armament of a combat ship. This vessel can carry cargo and defend itself, thus eliminating the need to have seprate freighters and escort craft. My description: About time that weak little Galleon was replaced, right? The Star Galleon is still not of much use in a space battle, but it carries a third regiment of troops, is sturdier than the standard Galleon, and has a little anti-starfighter armament. I still wouldn't use them alone, though - rather, attach a few to a larger fleet before you assault planets with them. Very weak against starships Moderate against starfighters No fighter capacity Moderate troop capacity Low cost SUPER STAR DESTROYER Cost: 282 Maintenance: 170 Fighter capacity: 12 Troop capacity: 9 Shield strength: 1200 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 5000 Damage control: 20 Shield recharge: 60 Tractor beam: 6 Sublight engine rating: 2 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 5 Weapon recharge: 70 Bombardment rate: 3 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 500 150 300 300 Ion Cannons 200 100 200 200 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: The Super-class Star Destroyer, the newest model in the fleet, is eight kilometers long, dwarfing even the massive Imperial Star Destroyers. The Super Star Destroyer is approximately five times as powerful as its smaller predecessor. Frequently used as a command vessel, the Super Star Destroyer is the most powerful conventional warship in the Imperial inventory. My description: Here we are. This is the most powerful warship in the game, far more powerful than even the Imperial II, and more than a match for its Rebel counterpart, the Bulwark Battle Cruiser. This ship is so insanely powerful that the Rebel player is more likely to attempt sabotage than to engage it. Therefore, always make sure to pack it with Dark Troopers and assign an Admiral and a General as well! It would be a shame to lose this baby anywhere except on the battlefield. Actually, it would be a shame to lose it, period. Back the Super Star Destroyer up with a Lancer Frigate or two and an Interdictor Cruiser, and it will be a powerful force in itself. Of course, depending on how much opposition you expect, you could also use the Super Star Destroyer as a flagship for an even bigger fleet. Brutal against starships Moderate against starfighters Very high fighter capacity Very high troop capacity Excellent shields Very high cost STRIKE CRUISER Cost: 70 Maintenance: 60 Fighter capacity: 1 Troop capacity: 0 Shield strength: 600 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 1600 Damage control: 10 Shield recharge: 30 Tractor beam: 3 Sublight engine rating: 4 Maneuverability: 2 Detection rate: 10 Weapon recharge: 18 Bombardment rate: 1 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 120 80 40 40 Ion Cannons 60 0 40 40 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: This 450-meter long Imperial star cruiser was designed to be mass-produced in a short amount of time. Thanks to their modular design, the cruisers' interiors can be configured to accomodate specific mission profiles. My description: I don't know what to make of this thing. The game description suggests it would be cheap, but it costs about as much as a Victory II, and is a little weaker in most regards. While it is clearly superior to the original Victory model, the existence of the Victory II (which you will actually research sooner) makes it pretty much redundant. Should you decide to use it anyway, it serves roughly the same role: a powerful warship meant for use against Rebel starships in deep space combat. Very strong against starships Weak against starfighters Limited fighter capacity No troop capacity Good shields Moderate cost TIE BOMBER Cost: 3 Maintenance: 3 Laser strength: 5 Ion strength: 3 Torpedo strength: 8 Shield strength: 0 Hyperdrive: no Sublight engine rating: 7 Maneuverability: 4 Detection rate: 12 Bombardment rate: 2 Game description: A special purpose TIE model, the TIE Bomber has two pods contained between bent wing solar panels. One pod contains the pilot and gunner, and is used to control the craft. The seconday pod contains the starfighter's weapon suite, including laser cannons, and heavy assault bombs. The bomber, like other TIE models, has no hyperdrive, life support or shielding. My description: though of limited use in dogfights, TIE Bombers can be very effective against enemy capital ships, or in planetary bombardments. It pays to take several squadrons of TIE Bombers with you on any offensive missions, but make sure to balance them with Fighter or Interceptor models to clear any fighter opposition. If you don't, you will lose Bombers very quickly. Bomber Moderate effectiveness Low cost Low maintenance TIE DEFENDER Cost: 5 Maintenance: 7 Laser strength: 10 Ion strength: 0 Torpedo strength: 10 Shield strength: 5 Hyperdrive: yes Hyperdrive rating: 60 Sublight engine: 8 Maneuverability: 6 Detection rate: 25 Bombardment rate: 1 Game description: The TIE Defender marks a departure from the normal line of Imperial fighter design. It is one of the few production fighters to be equipped with both a shield generator and hypedrive system. The Defender mounts considerable firepower in the form of automatic laser cannons which allow it to engage multiple enemies at once. Efficient maneuvering thrusters are housed in the three odd shaped solar panels which give the Defender maneuverability almost on the level of the TIE Interceptor and the Alliance's A-Wing. In all, the Defender is a dangerous adversary to all Alliance fighters. My description: The Defender takes care of two problems: the Alliance's starfighter superiority, and the dilemma of what to build. Once you have completed research on it, fill up all your fleet with Defenders alone. When in battle, have them take out all enemy starfighters first, then engage whatever starship you wish. They are equally deadly in both roles. Different from the TIE Defender found in TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance, this model does not have ion cannons, and is not quite as maneuverable. Regardlessly, it remains the deadliest fighter in the game. Multirole fighter High effectiveness Moderate cost Moderate maintenance TIE FIGHTER Cost: 3 Maintenance: 3 Laser strength: 5 Ion strength: 0 Shield strength: 0 Hyperdrive: no Sublight engine: 9 Maneuverability: 5 Detection rate: 12 Bombardment rate: 0 Game description: TIE Fighters make up the bulk of all the Imperial starfighter corps. The small craft has no life support mechanism, shield generators, or hyperdrive making them cheap to produce in large numbers. Armaments are restricted to two laser cannons mounted below the pilot's control pod. My description: TIE Fighters are the weakest starfighters in the game, but also the cheapest. Your shipyards can turn these out at a disgusting pace. To defeat the superior Rebel fighter models with these, try to outnumber them at least two to one, or three to one if you can manage. The problem is usually not having enough shipyards to build TIE Fighters with, but having enough starships capable of carrying them. Escort Carriers are the cheapest way to do this, Imperial Star Destroyers also have a good capacity. I recommend using TIE Fighters only until you have completed research on the superior Interceptor model - until them, don't be afraid to use them in large numbers. Keep using them even after the Interceptor comes into play, just don't rebuild them. Superiority fighter Low effectiveness Low cost Low maintenance TIE INTERCEPTOR Cost: 3 Maintenance: 3 Laser strength: 8 Ion strength: 0 Shield strength: 0 Hyperdrive: no Sublight engine: 10 Maneuverability: 8 Detection rate: 20 Bombardment rate: 0 Game description: An improvement over the original TIE design, the Interceptor incorporates the bent wing solar panels and mounts four laser cannons instead of the original two. A large engine system has also been added making the Intereceptor as fast and maneuverable as the Alliance's A-Wing. However, it still lacks shield generators, hyperdrives and life support systems found on most Alliance starfighters. My description: Superior in all aspects to the TIE Fighter, but at the same cost in refined materials and maintenance. In other words, once you have completed research on the Interceptor, there is no reason to build any more standard Fighter models. I wouldn't go as far as replacing all Fighters you have, but you should definitely produce Interceptors from then on. Like Fighters, they are used to destroy enemy starfighters in space battles, clearing the way for your Bombers, and taking care of any Y-Wings or B-Wings making passes on your valuable hardware. Two squads of Interceptors can do the work of three squads of Fighters, and come out with fewer losses. Superiority fighter Moderate effectiveness Low cost Low maintenance VICTORY DESTROYER Cost: 68 Maintenance: 44 Fighter capacity: 2 Troop capacity: 2 Shield strength: 200 Hyperdrive rating: 60 Hull strength: 1800 Damage control: 20 Shield recharge: 10 Tractor beam: 2 Sublight engine rating: 3 Maneuverability: 1 Detection rate: 10 Weapon recharge: 12 Bombardment rate: 4 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 120 0 100 100 Ion Cannons 0 0 0 0 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: The Victory Destroyer is an older star cruiser that proved to be an imporant part of the Imperial space fleet. This vessel was designed with planetary bombardment in mind. While a capable combat vessel, the Victory Star Destroyer can deliver accurate and devastating bombardments from orbit. My description: The little brother of the Imperial Star Destroyer, this ship is still very powerful in combat. Its turbolasers are actually more powerful than those on the Imperial model, but the back is unprotected, no ion cannons are available, and it has less shielding and carrying capacity. The main strength of this ship, as the game description implies, is its high bombardment rate. Make sure to take one or two of these ships along if you are going to assault any planets. Victory Star Destroyers also make good flagships for small task forces for which you cannot afford to build an Imperial Star Destroyer. It can hold its own against all but the biggest Rebel ships. Strong against starships Very weak against starfighters Limited fighter capacity Limited troop capacity Moderate cost VICTORY II STAR DESTROYER Cost: 72 Maintenance: 63 Fighter capacity: 2 Troop capacity: 0 Shield strength: 600 Hyperdrive rating: 60 Hull strength: 1800 Damage control: 25 Shield recharge: 30 Tractor beam: 2 Sublight engine rating: 4 Maneuverability: 2 Detection rate: 10 Weapon recharge: 16 Bombardment rate: 5 Fore Aft Port Starboard Turbo Lasers 120 80 80 80 Ion Cannons 40 40 40 40 Laser Cannons 0 0 0 0 Game description: The Victory II is an upgrade of the older Victory model starship. The Victory II was designed with space combat in mind, outfitted with larger weapons and hangar bays than the original Victory. The Victory II works well as a patrol or blockade starship and maintains its predecessor's bombardment capabilities. My description: This ship costs just a little more than the original Victory, but is significantly more expensive to maintain. It is a little better in most aspects (although it does not have a greater fighter capacity as the game's description suggests), but its most important advantage is in the addition of ion cannons, and much more powerful shields. This ship can defeat a Mon Calamari Cruiser on its own, and would probably even win against a standard Imperial Star Destroyer. This is an excellent flagship for small fleets, and a good addition to any larger fleet. You'll love its firepower and resilience. However, starfighters remain a problem. Very strong against starships Weak against starfighters Limited fighter capacity No troop capacity Moderate cost ------------------ Death Star details ------------------ NOTE: Some of the statistics given below are redundant, as the Death Star follows special rules in battle. The shield rating, weapon recharge, hull and damage control rating serve no purpose. Cost: 584 Maintenance: 600 Fighter capacity: 24 Troop capacity: 18 Shield strength: 2000 Hyperdrive rating: 80 Hull strength: 25000 Damage control: 60 Shield recharge: 100 Tractor beam: 15 Sublight engine rating: 1 Maneuverability: N/A Detection rate: 5 Weapon recharge: 180 Bombardment rate: 15 Game description: An immense battle station 120 kilometers in diameter, the Death Star was the pinnacle of Imperial engineering. Designed by Chief Engineer Bevel Lemelisk and constructed above the penal colony of Despyre, the Death Star was Grand Moff Tarkin's ultimate symbol of rule by fear of force. It carried a crew of over 750.000 and enough firepower to destroy an entire system. Tarkin demonstrated the power of his masterpiece by destroying the world of Alderaan in an attempt to persuade Princess Leia Organa to reveal the location of the Alliance base. The Death Star relies on its world destroying superlaser and vast numbers of turbolasers on its surface to defend against large scale attacks, but appears to be vulnerable to small starfighters. The Death Star was later destroyed in the Battle of Yavin. Grand Moff Tarkin died with his creation at Yavin, but it is unknown how many more Death Stars he was constructing. My description: Although the Death Star is available for construction right from the beginning of the game, it will be a long time before you have the refined materials, maintenance points and shipyards available to even think of such a large project. Also, despite its awesome power, the Death Star takes a very long time to build (8 shipyards still need almost 300 days), and is vulnerable to destruction through sabotage or a starfighter attack. You would do very well to load it with troops and assign both a General and an Admiral to defend against sabotage. As for starfighter defense, filling the Death Star up with TIE Defenders is the safest way to go about it, and even then, you should bring Lancer Frigates along. Here is an overview of the Death Star's capabilities: SUPERLASER IN SPACE COMBAT Roughly every two minutes in a deep space battle, the Death Star may employ its superlaser to instantly destroy an enemy capital ship. This can be done by using the Death Star button on your control panel and selecting the target. Destruction is instant, automatic and unavoidable. RULE BY FEAR When the Death Star hovers over an Imperial-controlled planet, the required garrison to subdue an uprising cannot go beyond 2. The very presence of the Death Star can subdue an uprising, after which you can assign more garrison troops or perform diplomacy before pulling the Death Star away. PLANETARY DESTRUCTION The Death Star can employ its superlaser to obliterate any planet it is over. This attack always succeeds and permanently removes the planet and all its assets from the game. Any minor characters on the planet are killed, and major characters are captured. There is a big price to pay for this awesome attack, however: every single planet in the Core systems will gain Rebel support. If you use the Death Star liberally, soon neutral planets will join the Alliance all over the Core, and uprising will begin on your own worlds. The effect is not as strong if you destroy Rim worlds, but it still takes place. Use this ability *very* sparingly. Here are some more things to keep in mind when using a Death Star: - Because of its sheer size, the Death Star makes hyperspace travel difficult. An Imperial fleet containing a Death Star needs far longer to escape from a battle. You cannot pull a Death Star away quickly enough to prevent any enemy fighters from performing at least one Death Star strike. - When enemy fighters perform a Death Star strike, there are two possible outcomes: either all attacking fighters are eliminated, or the Death Star is destroyed. The chance of the latter occuring increases as more starfighters are assigned to the attack. The best defense against this is to intercept and destroy as many fighters as you can before they can reach the Death Star, but even then, it's a gamble. - A sure way to protect a Death Star is to use a Death Star shield, which can be placed on a planet's surface once researched. As long as the shield is in place, the Death Star cannot be harmed by enemy fighters, but may still be sabotaged. Putting a Death Star shield on Coruscant and a Death Star above it is one of the most effective ways of defending Imperial City, but make sure you garrison enough troops on it to make sabotage very difficult. --------------- Suggested names --------------- By default, the computer numbers your capital ships as you build them, but assigns no names to them. (Enemy ships do get names drawn from a random stock.) It is, of course, far more fun to give them names, and it helps you distinguish them from each other as well. In multiplayer games, your enemy can see the names you assign to your ships and fleets. Imperial names typically refer to oppression, aggressiveness and courage. Rebel names typically refer to justice, freedom and rebellion. Here are some suggested names for Imperial ship types. They have been taken from the movies, the novels and the games. Imperial Dreadnaught: Dargon, Fang, Talon Imperial Escort Carrier: Abolisher, Hoplyte, Hyperion, Phalanx Imperial Star Destroyer: Avenger, Garrett, Hammer, Intrepid, Invincible, Juggernaut, Majestic, Rage, Relentless, Titan, Vanguard, Warrior Interdictor Cruiser: Compellor, Grappler, Red Claw Super Star Destroyer: Executor, Iron Fist, Lusankya, Terror, Vengeance Victory Star Destroyer: Enforcer, Inexorable, Protector =========================================================================== REVISION HISTORY =========================================================================== NOTE: The latest version of this FAQ can always be found at GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com). If you found this guide somewhere else and you are looking for an update, I recommend you check GameFAQs to see if a newer version exists than the one you have. v1.0: (3 March '01) First release of the FAQ, with information on all Imperial ships. Planned updates include a similar list of Rebel ships, and possibly some suggested fleet layouts. v1.01: (20 March '01) Following the release of my Rebel ship guide, I've finalized this one and removed a few spelling errors. Also added an ASCII art banner made with Figlet. v1.02: (14 October '02) A few minor corrections and a change in E-mail address. Barring further corrections, this will probably be the final version. =========================================================================== FINAL WORDS =========================================================================== For questions, comments, suggestions, praise and criticism, contact the author, Sashanan, at sashanan@chello.nl. Any serious mail will be answered. Please put "Your Rebellion Imperial ship list" or something like that in the topic. I'll be happy to answer questions regarding the FAQ, the game, or both. If you wish to do anything with this FAQ except for just reading it, check the Disclaimer section at the top of the FAQ to find out what you can and can't do. I have a small RPG review/walkthrough site called Sashy's RPG Temple at http://come.to/sashy, feel free to check it out. "Much that I bound, I could not free. Much that I freed returned to me." (Lee Wilson Dodd) This document copyright 2001-02, Sashanan. All rights reserved.