Abstract: extermination win in 2545.

After the melee that was Imperia 13, we get... another melee?

The only ways we are allowed to destroy missile bases are through spies and ground invasion? I really hope we have the ASS in our tech tree, otherwise we will have a real hard time scouting planets. I also think I'll have to scout even more aggressively than usual in the beginning of the game.

The map, well, at least the opponents should be easier to handle than in the previous imperia, with no Psilon, Humans or Klackons to deal with, and the Silicoids generally being pushovers in ground combat. The yellow stars are quite evenly distributed. I'm guessing we have one opponent to our west, one to our south, and the last three along the western edge of the galaxy. There are six worlds within my initial scouting range that probably also are scoutable by the AIs, so more scouts are needed fast. The only two stars within settling range are a red and a white. The white is better positioned, but it's a white...

So, I'm going to treat this large map as if it's a small in the initial phases, and build scouts from the very start. My first two goes to the red and white to my west. The following ones will go south. I send the colony ship to the red in the north.

Six new scouts are built, and sent to all planets within scouting range. Factory construction is started in 2302, and we reach Zoctan, an arid 70. Good news, we settle immediately. Putting the numbers into the equation for max empire population growth gives 18, so that many are sent from Ursa.

Phantos and Rana are scouted, and no AI in sight yet. Spica is also scouted, and it seems we could have sent our colony ship there, since it's a near clone of Zoctan. Settling it would also have opened up another world for colonisation.

Contact! We encounter Mrrshan scout at Selia and Xengara. Selia was scouted last turn by us, but they might have been able to scout Xengara.

Assessment of the immediate neighbourhood:

Range 3:

Spica, arid 70

Range 4:

Phantos, steppe 50
Rana, inferno 25 ultra-rich

Range 5:

Gienah, arid 60
Tao, infero 35

Range 6:

Uxmai, dead 20
Selia, minimal 30 rich
Xengara, dead 50

Spica will open up Gienah, after which we need Inferno or range 5 in order to reach Selia.

Time to open up tech, in 2308. 5 RP from Ursa are sent to Planetology and Propulsion. Choices are IER; and range 4 and 5. I select range 5, since Phantos doesn't seem to be in danger from the AI yet. Seed from both colonies (62 RP), and set priorities 5:1 IER:range 5. Continue research with 6 RP from Ursa. In 2312 I increase research from Ursa to three clicks (12 RP), and the bulb for IER is starting to light up. Research is slowly increased over time, adding another click every three to five years.

In the 2322-23 interturn we get the first galactic message: the Darloks have reached 6 planets.
In 2327, IER is at 3%, Zoctan is at 51/64 and will add six more factories, Ursa is at 89/158 and will add eight factories. The plan was to switch Zoctan (at 70 factories) to research in 2328 and let Ursa build to max, but instead IER pops early!

IT 20 (IT 20, Dead, DSpores)

IT 20 is the cheapest tech, and we only have two dead planets within range. I intend to pick Inferno instead, if available. IT 20 will also add more total population, even if we only are limited to the easily reachable worlds.

Space fleet report of the 2327-28 interturn:

Sakkra, Darlok, Silicoid, Meklar, Mrrshan, Bulrathi

In 2328, I send five pop from Zoctan to Ursa, which paces its factory construction to max factories in three turns and adds a little more research. I also open up construction, and research is equalised between planetology and propulsion.

Only construction choice is RIW 80% - I had hoped for IIT 9. Research is set to equal amounts.

Empire production report of the 2329-30 interturn:

Meklar, Darlok, Mrrshan, Bulrathi, Sakkra, Silicoid

Ursa is at 94, with another pop from eco slider due next turn, together with five from Zoctan, However, the eco slider goes all the way up to 6, so the five pop can land safely next turn, and factories should also max. And they do! Perfect timing!

Colony ship production starts in 2331, and the first one will be built in three turns. It appears in 2334, and is sent to Spica. Spica won't add any other planets to the scouting range, so another one will be built at once. After that, Ursa will research for one round and use the leftovers for scouts.

Spica settled in 2336, and the newly built colony ship can be sent to Gienah immediately. Leftovers will give 19 scouts. 33 pop are sent from Zoctan to Spica. I consider building another colony ship at once (range 5 is at 10%), but instead continue with research from Ursa for another turn (range 5 at 15%). I also open up the rest of the research fields, since we probably will gain contact with the Mrrshan soon.

Happy news! Range 5 pops in 2338-29. New research choices:

BC 2
Shield 2
Warp 2 (range 4, warp 2)
Hyper-V (hyper-V, gatling)

Ursa starts building colony ships again. Tech is equalised. Ouchie on the cost for BC 2. I scrap the old scouts in 2341, with new ones enroute, and Gienah is settled. This also gives contact with the Mrrshan. They are ruthless militarists, and hold five worlds (Relos, Mobas, Paladia, Fierias and Imra). We are equals in tech, but they have a lead in production, population and planets.

I send one pop to Gienah from Ursa, and 15 from Spica.

Talks with the Mrrshan of 2341: they accept 75 in trade, and decline tech trade. Relation is at unease.

RIW 80% comes in in 2341-42, and IIT 8 is the only choice. I hope we can get the PDS in the early tree, since we're missing out the two other early ground combat techs, but even so I'd probably have gone for IIT 8 over Duralloy.

I send out scouts, including Fierias and Imra. I'm considering sending scouts to Fierias and Imra, but decide the relationship hit will be worse than the small amount of intel I'd get (population, factories and number of missile bases). I might be able to scout Imra, but relations with the Mrrshan can be bad enough anyway.

Since we have a colony ship enroute to Selia in 2344, and Phantos is the only known reachable and hospitable planet, I reduce colony ship spending so that the ship for Phantos will be finished next turn with minimal overrun.

In the interturn we get our second contact, a Silicoid scout at Rana. It's time to start thinking about some ships with more combat power than scouts, but I think I'm safe for a few more years. Also, with RIW 80% in, we actually lead in tech over the Mrrshan.

Ryoun is scouted in 2345-36, and boy was that a crowded neighbourhood - Sakkra, Meklar and Darlok scouts, and a crappy desert 20. We also get a Silicoid scout at Phantos. Change research priorities in 2347 to computers & planetology 10, construction 15 and the rest at 5.

Celtsi (Silicoid colony) scouted in 2347, and Selia is settled. This means we will get contact with the Silicoids next turn, when Phantos is settled. Celtsi only has five pop right now, of 90, and there is no way we can let the Silicoids keep that lovely planet, in the way they spread waste. They are definitely an easier nut to crack than the Mrrshan.

We send 11 pop to Selia, 1 from Ursa, and five each from Gienah and Spica. Phantos is settled, and a few more Silicoid scouts are driven off Celtsi in 2348-49 interturn.

This also triggers the galactic council, so we'll get two elections a year apart. Mrrshans and Darloks are nominated:

20 votes:
Silicoid 3 abstain
Sakkra 3 Darloks
Mrrshan 4 Mrrshan
Meklar 3 abstain
Darlok 4 Darlok
Bulrathi 3 Mrrshan

We also get contact with the Silicoids. They are up to eight colonies (Misha, Maretta, Cryslon, Crius, Tyr, Rha, Tay Cygni and Celtsi). They are aggressive technologiest, and allied with the Sakkra. We are currently only slightly trailing in production to the two AIs, but the Mrrshan have a lead in population.

I want to stand up Phantos quickly, so 29 pop are sent from Zoctan. One more is sent from Ursa, which will regrow in the interturn from surplus eco spending. Scouts are sent out to newly reachable worlds. The Silicoids can trade up to 100, but I decline to initiate trade. Neither them nor the Mrrshan have any interest in our technology, or at least they say so.

Yep, another council, with the Darloks and Mrrshan again. 19 votes this time, probably since I've sent off some pop to Phantos.

Silicoids 3 abstain
Sakkra 3 Darloks
Mrrshan 4 Mrrshan
Meklar 3 abstain
Darlok 4 Darloks
Bulrathi 2 Mrrshan

Relations with the Mrrshan are now up to calm, but they are still not interested in tech trading.

Tau Cygni scouted - it's a radiated 55 ultra-rich, newly settled by the Silicoids. I hope our archeologists are up to wearing radiation suits. I also remember Ryuon, and starts building a colony ship for the planet. The next turn our brave archeologists finally manage to locate Orion. Their names will be noted with honour.

Hyper-V rockets come in.

Ion Cannon (Hyper-X, Fusion Bomb, Ion Cannon)

The bomb is useless for us, and the Hyper-X is only a small upgrade over the Hyper-V. A Silicoid scout is encountered at Berel. Firma and Dolz are also scouted. We also get an AI tardiness alert - the Mrrshan have somehow failed to settle Dolz, a terran 95 3 pc away from Mobas!

We encounter the Sakkra at Klystron, and this is the first encounter, save for the Guardian, where guns appear. A Sakkra medium design is there, and Klystron is at 65/21, without any missile bases. The next year we encounter a Darlok scout at Incedius. This planet is a desert 35 rich, also 3 pc from Mobas, and the Mrrshan have no flag there!

Time to take stock in 2357:

Bulrathi: 6 planets (Phantos, Zoctan, Ursa, Spica, Gienah and Selia)
Silicoid: 8 planets (Misha, Maretta, Cryslon, Crius, Tyr, Rha, Tay Cygni and Celtsi)
Mrrshan: 5 planets (Relos, Mobas, Paladia, Fierias and Imra)

Unclaimed planets:

Firma steppe 45 (range 6, col ship prepositioning to Phantos)
Ryoun desert 20 (col ship enroute)
Rana inferno 25 ultra rich
Uxmai dead 20
Tao inferno 35
Xengara dead 50
Berel inferno 35
Dolz terran 85 (range 6)
Incedius desert 35 rich (range 8)

Since the Silicoids haven't reacted yet at Celtsi, I decide to send in ground troops at once. Phantos can send 19, due in 5.

I also dial up tech trades. The Silicoids foolishly gives our soldier-archeologists Hand Lasers for Hyper-V. Zoctan also sends 15 to Phantos, in preparation for the assault on Rha. Shield 2 comes in a few turns later, and PDS is the only choice. A Meklar colony ship appears at Dolz, but is driven off, and BC 2 comes in. Only choice is ECM 2. The next year a Darlok scout also arrives at Dolz, but is driven off.

34 Silicoids are more than 19 Bulrathi, sadly. 21 more soldier-archeologists are eager at Phantos however, and there are only five Silicoids remaining. Relations with the Silicoids as of 2362 are down to feud now, however, and they declare war in the 2363-64 interturn.

IIT 8 comes in the next turn, as does IT 20.

ARS (IIT 7, ARS) - no Zortium, sadly
Inferno (Dead, Death Spores, Inferno)

Ryoun is settled. Research is changed so construction and fields have 10 each. 27 pop are spotted incoming to Celtsi. 5 pop are sent to Ryoun from Ursa, and Phantos sends a second wave against Celtsi, of 10. An armed Silicoid colony ship arrives at Firma and drives off our scouts, which stays in orbit.

Second battle of Celtsi, and 21 Bulrathi are more than 36 Silicoids this time. We capture 16 factories, and the archeological remnants after the Silicoid pollution gives us knowledge of DSS. Not great, but far from bad either.

It is possible to build a LR col ship for Dolz now, but I'll wait until warp 2 comes in (now at 4%), and build it at Selia. A Silicoid armed colony ship arrives at Ryoun and takes control of the orbitals.

17 Silicoid pop spotted, probably from Tay Cygni and bound for Ryoun. They manage to capture Ryuon. Nuclear engines arrives the next turn, and we can finally build some early combat ships, and take control over the orbitals of Silicoid planets.

Warp 3 (range 4, warp 3, range 7), mainly for the doubled transport speed

In another weedy move, the Silicoid armed colony ship in orbit over Ryoun leaves the planet
unguarded, with five Bulrathi pop incoming next turn. I send 10 more from Phantos.

Somehow, the Silicoids manage to hold on to Ryoun, but their pop is down to 3. I set Phantos and Zoctan to max eco to increase pop, and send off pop to Celtsi. I've studied the ship designs, and decide to hold off armed ships until the Ion Cannon is in. Research there is prioritised, together with propulsion and fields.

2474 galactic council, and we are nominated, against the Darloks. 24 votes:

Silicoid: 4 Darloks
Sakkra: 3 Darloks
Mrrshan: 4 abstain
Meklars: 3 abstain
Darloks: 5 Darloks
Bulrathi: 5 abstain

An armed Silicoid colony ship arrives at Uxmai and drives off my scout. The Silicoids are also moving around with a Monitor (large) at Tau Cygni. The northern colonies switch focus, from pop to factories. PDS comes in at 1%. Whoo! A real big ground combat advantage against the Silicoids, just in time to retake Ryoun. I'm guessing a Monitor is bound for Celtsi, so reserves are funnelled there, and a missile base is built.

Shield 4 is the only possible choice in fields research, so that is selected, and some of the research focus is moved to propulsion.

Dolz is settled in 2377, giving us contact with the Meklars. Somehow, they give us a quiz about identifying old artifacts in the forms of starships. Our sages easily identify it as a Panther, but curse over the interruptions in their research.

The Monitor arrives at Celtsi, but there is a base there to greet it, together with the scout. 8 heavy ion cannons, a battle scanner, and little else. The ion cannons do some damage before the ship is destroyed, but the colony is safe. In larger numbers, they could be quite dangerous, however.

The Meklars are neutral, Xenophobic technologists. They have three planets (Mu Delphi, Meklon, Vulcan). They are willing to trade IIT 9 and range 4, and are interested in RIW 80%, range 5, IT 20 and hyper-V. I decline, and propose trade at 300/year, but they decline. The Mrrshan, however, are willing to up trade to 225, but not to trade tech.

Since a spy can be inserted in 5 turns now, minimal spying is opened up. I also discover I need more scouts, so a new scout with warp 2 is designed. Selia builds seven from leftovers.

Incedius is settled, and sixteen Silicoid arrive at Ryuon, but fail to take the planet with minor losses to the Bulrathi.

A Silicoid Monitor arrives at Rha, which is at 49/83, forcing my scout away. In happier news, Ion Cannon comes in.

SP-V (SP-V, Mass Driver, Neutron Blaster)

SP-V is the cheapest tech and a good missile upgrade against low and mid-level shields. I spot a small Sakkra fleet incoming to Klystron. 3 mediums, of two designs, and three colony ships. Seems I won't be able to scout the planet this round either.

Klystron is at 65/57 now, and with one missile base. My scouts are driven off, and diverted to Dolz.

In 2383 the Sakkra monitor at Dolz leave, and I decide to take a chance: 30 soldier-archeologists are sent to Rha from Celtsi. We have also caught a Silicoid spy. Our spies will start to try inserting in two turns. We have 19 Silicoid transports incoming against Ryoun.

ECM 2 comes in, and the only choice is ECM 3. Bummer.

The next year we encounter the Darloks at Rhilus: 55/103/2. There are also several ships in orbit: 2 larges (King Cobra and Cobra) and a single fighter. We also get the sub-light drive, but too late for inclusion on the CA 2A on the way to Ryuon.

Warp 4 (Energy Pulsar, warp 4, warp dissipator)

Draconis is scouted, radiated 30 rich, as well as Iranha, radiated 40 rich and Kronos, inferno 35. Only 2 Bulrathi, out of 30, manage to reach Rha. The Mrrshan propose an NAP, and I agree.
Tech is equalised. The Mrrshan are willing to trade us NPG for Ion Cannon or warp 3, but I decline. The Meklar agree to trade 350 this time, but still only offer IIT 9 and range 4 in tech trade.

Darloks are also encountered at Obaca, 80/52/1. Two armed colony ships and 25 bumblebees in orbit. Ditto at Omicron, 50/150/9, so they have IRC 3. 104 bumblebees are also in orbit.

Artemis is scouted, radiated 10 rich. There's a Monitor in orbit around Rha, but no bases yet. Ryuon is bombed by the Silicoid, doing little damage.

The next turn we reach Tyr, which is at 41/100/6. The Monitor at Ryoun is destroyed by a single large and 6 missile boats, but I close too much with the missile boats and loose half of them. Rha sends 27 against Celtsi, and I counter by sending 34 from Phantos, together with sending the forces from Ryuon to first Celtsi and then on to Rha.

Spying report in 2389:

Silicoid:
BC 3, ISS
IIT 9
IT 10, Death environ (probably dead spores)
IS, range 7
Fusion bomb

Nothing special, apart from the computer techs.

And for the Mrrshan:

Barren
Range 4
NPG, Fusion

The Mrrshan are quite behind, technologically. We have better computer tech.

With some waste and reserves I can get two more missile bases built at Celtsi. However, the 27 Silicoids bypass Celtsi, and seems to be bound for Ryoun. I send the missile boats back there, and a CA 3A will reach there in time too.

In 2391 we get a spying report from the Meklar:

ISS, BC 5
IIT 9
Shield 4
Range 4

Bad news, Rha has got a missile base. I set the spy to sabotage in a vain attempt. I also send 40 from Zoctan against Firma. The Silicoids sent against Ryoun are destroyed, but 27 Bulrathi penetrate to Rha, and they take the planets with 16 remaining. New tech is discovered:

Fusion bomb (useless)
Death spores (ick, but of marginal economic interest)

2393. A Silicoid huge is spotted, Kraken. It might be bound for Ryuon. I will try to get some defenses there now. Also, a Silicoid colony ship is bound for Rana, but we are just about to learn Inferno ourselves.

The Kraken might be bound for Rha, but I should be able to get a missile base there in time. Firma has sent 14, probably bound for Rana. It will take them some time to get there, and in the meantime Firma just became so much easier to take.

SP-V comes in early!

Fusion beam (Graviton, Stinger, Fusion beam)

By no means an easy choice, shields are beginning to become more effective. However, the fusion beam can easily last us the rest of the game.

The Silicoids have managed to reach several alliances: with the Mrrshan, Sakkras and Darloks. I ask the Mrrshan to break that alliance, and they do so for the price of Ion Cannon. I agree.

2396 spying report:

Silicoids:
no news

Mrrshan
BC 3
Barren
Range 4
NPG, Mass Driver

Meklar (as of 2390)
ISS, BC 5
IIT 9
Shield 4
Range 4

Both the Mrrshan and Silicoids are stuck with shield 2 for now.

The Kraken is nasty: 11 Death spores, 7 hvy ion cannon, 26 ion cannon, IS, BS, speed 2, shield 2, attack 2 & defense 3, 600 HP. It manages to destroy all the defending ships, and also the colony, together with irreplacable artifacts.

In the ground combat for Firma, we learn that the Silicoids now have PDS too, which is a nasty surprise. 9 Bulrathi remain after the fighting, though, and the Silicoids also discover an ancient derelict with new field and weapons tech. We wanted to catalogue that!

Our soldier-archeologists learn range 7, and it gives us "contact" with the Sakkra and the Darloks. The turn later, we learn Inferno.

BTA (Dead, Soil, BTA)

Soil is usually very attractive, but being able to save our priceless artifacts against the Silicoid bioweapons is even more attractive. We also get contact with the Sakkra and the Darloks in the 2397-98 interturn.

Tech-wise, the Sakkra, Darloks and Silicoids are about even, with the rest closely after, with the Mrrshan trailing. Production is close all over. We have a big lead in planets and pop.

The Darloks are willing to trade 90 (can trade up to 450). They are willing to trade us ECM 1, NPG, range 4, IIT 9 or tundra, but we decline. They are xenophobic technologists, with an alliance with the Silicoids, and at war with the Sakkras and Meklars.

The Sakkras are willing to trade 60 (can trade up to 300). They are willing to trade us ECM 1, AMR, IIT 9 or gatling, but we decline. They have an alliance with the Meklars, and are at war with the Silicoids and Darloks.

Bad news on the Silicoid tech front as of 2398:

BC 3, ISS
IIT 9
P-Shield 5
IT 10
IS
Hyper-X, AMB

Soldier-archeologists are sent against Uxmai and Rana, Rana is captured. The Morey of the Silicoids seems to be armed with SP-V, strangely enough.

2399 election, 26 votes:

Silicoids 5 Silicoids
Sakkra 3 Bulrathi
Mrrshan 4 abstain
Meklar 2 Bulrathi
Darlok 4 silicoids
Bulrathi 8 bulrathi

If we can get the Mrrshan to vote for us, a diplomatic victory should be reachable. Uxmai is captured, but somehow, the Sakkra are still neutral towards us. Maybe we should hit larger worlds of the Silicoids.

The Kraken is spotted, probably bound for Firma.

More bad news on Silicoid tech, in 2399:

BC 3, ISS, IRC 4
IIT 9
P-Shield 5
IT 10
IS
Hyper-X, AMB

I can get a base built at Firma, but it won't be enough.

ARS comes in, and now we can get a real counter against the Kraken. However, shield 4 is also due soon, so I will hold the design until then, and build some inferno colony ships.

Zortium (IIT 7, Zortium, IIT 6)

The Darloks want to up trade to 375, and I agree. I look around for tech, and the Sakkra are willing to part with Duralloy. I give them range 7. It's a steep price, but it'll help my missile bases. The next turn, the Darloks declare war. No surprise, really.

Sakkra spy report, 2403:

ECM 1, BC 3
IIT 9, IIT 7
IS
Gatling, AMR

Darloks, in 2404

ECM 1, IRC 3
IIT 9
Shield 4
Tundra, EER
Range 4, IS
NPG, Merc, Stinger

I set my spies in Silicoid and Darloks on espionage, on the far chance of scoring anything.

We learn shield 4.

Repulsor (repulsor, shield 5)

Firma is also bombed and destroyed by the Silicoids, and they have settled Rha again. A new Silicoid huge is moving around, the Polaris.

Xengara is settled, and we loose contact with the Sakkra. The Polaris seems to be bound for Celtsi, which is building more missile bases.

ECM 3 comes in, and we can get a real computer in BC 5! No IRC 3 or 4, though. Lets hope for ASS on the next level. I design a huge, with ARS, shield 4, duralloy, et c, but it'll take 16 turns for my rich worlds to make one... OTOH, that will allow me to get another update or two into it.

I dial up the Meklar for tech trade, and give them Hyper-V for range 4. They were also willing to part with IIT 9, but I think the boost is more useful in propulsion. I also send some more pop to Rana.

The Polaris was going to Celtsi, as I had surmised. It's not as nasty as the Kraken, though: 8 SP-V, 2 AMB and 5 Ion Cannon. 900 HP, attack 4, defense, shield and move 2, warp 1. Celtsi loses one base (of eight) before the Polaris is detroyed.

In 2409 note that Rha is at 10/69, after the sporing, so it won't become much larger. The Kraken is also leaving the planet. I believe I can take a chance in taking it back, hopefully getting some tech. IRC 4 would be very nich, though expensive since I'm only at IIT 8. However, most of my colonies are fully mature. The Silicoids also have planetary shield 5, which means it'll be quite a while until any bases can appear on new colonies.

I also look into ship designs:

CA 3B: 4 hvy Ion C, 1 laser, warp 3, bc 2, man 3, spd 2, shield 4, BS, Autorepair, 150 HP and 700 BC
DG 3B: 1 5xSP-V, warp 3, man 2, bc 2, 27 HP and 99 BC

I'll build these instead of the huges.

The Meklar warn us about our expansion. Rana maxes its factories, and starts building some missile bases. The Silicoids destroy some factories at Ryoun - why do they bother? Rha is recaptured, with a single Bulrathi left at the end. No tech, though.

The next turn BTA comes in, at 2%! The only new tech is Cloning (no Atmos, sadly), and going back for Soil is very tempting. However, I decide to push on and hope for Adv Soil. The Meklar are willing to give me ISS for BTA, however! Great. BTA makes great trade bait, especially if you yourself don't use bioweapons. They are also willing to trade away Dead, I give them Duralloy. I'm considering continuing to focus in computers, but decide to keep tech equalised for now.

With warp 3, a mobile force based on Rha can cover both Celtsi and Firma. Some Silicoid and Darlok ships are incoming to both worlds, but they're coming in staggered. Firma re-settled in 2412. In 2413-14 we get 1100 BC from the Merchant event. The incoming Kraken against Rha is destroyed, at the loss of a CA 3A (I built some by mistake, instead of CA 3Bs). The DG 3A proved to be quite effective against the lightly shielded ships of the Silicoids. When they build ships with shield 4, they will be far less effective, however.

With Firma and Rha secure fow now, it's time to take stock. The Silicoids have one more planet I can take, Berel, but I'd prefer to let them build it up a little first. I will destroy some of the extra pop sent to it next turn, however. Maybe contraproductive, but you can play population attrition in space as well as on the ground. I can settle an inferno world in the Mrrshan backyard, but after that I'm out of worlds and will need ASS for further ground invasions. A pity we don't have Radiated in our tree, since the Silicoids hold several radiated worlds that we have scouted, but can't land on.

The Silicoids make a move against Rana - 1 Polaris and some small ships. I'll build some more bases and some more ships, so can't really tech out peacefully for a while. Checking spies - the Darloks have radiated! It won't be easy stealing it from them, but I'll have to try.

The Darlok King Cobra is quite pathetic. Some NPGs, and nothing else to speak of. It retreats from Firma. Our ships arrive at Klystron in time to stop the Silicoids from settling there. It's a nice Ocean 65. Settling it should also bring back contact with the Sakkra.

The Silicoids come begging for peace. I decide to agree, there are simply no worlds of theirs but one that I can reach. Kronos is settled in 2421, and the Darloks also come asking for peace. I agree here too.

Spy reports, as of 2420-22:

Silicoids:
BC 3, IRC 4
IIT 9
Plan shield 5
IT 10
IS
Hyper-X, Merc, AMB

Darloks:
ECM 1, IRC 3, BC 4
IIT 9
Plan shield 5
Tundra, EER, radiated
IS
NPG, Merc, Stinger

Mrrshan:
BC 3
Barren
IS
NPG, Mass driver

Meklar:
BC 5
IIT 9
Rep beam
Warp diss
Neutron blaster

Fusion beam comes in, and we hold Klystron against a Meklar colony ship, with our to arrive there soon. Only new weapon is AMT, so the question is if I should go back for Stingers. In the end, however, I decide to press on to AMT. Next our scholars are asked to identify a Devastator.

Klystron settled in 2424, and I send plenty of pop from other worlds. My standard environment core worlds have steadily sending pop to my new, usually hostile, colonies, and doing extra exo spending in order to re-grow quickly. This also gives us the 18-system warning, and the galactic council comes up:

Council of 2424, Bulrathi vs Silicoids, 30 votes

Silicoids: 5 Silicoids
Sakkra: 3 Bulrathi
Mrrshan: 4 abstain
Meklar: 3 Bulrathi
Darlok: 4 Silicoids
Bulrathi: 11 abstain

I'll obviously need Mrrshan help in order to secure a diplomatic win. Also, settling Kryslon didn't give contact with the Sakkra. I'll need range 9 for that too. The next turn, we get warp 4, and can select range 9, and the turn after we get Repulsor beam and Zortium. Choices for construction are RIW 40% and armored exoskeletons. We'll take the heavy-duty excavation equipment, thanks. Only new fields option is shield 6. Only tech missing from the new model fleet is BC 5 now.

The Silicoids re-declare war, and the Meklar complain about us destroying their missile bases. Probably the Darlok at work. The Silicoids are also up to ECM 5. Berel is only up to seven factories, so no benefit from invading it yet. The Mrrshan are willing to give us Mass Driver for BTA, but I decline. The Darlok, however, are willing to trade us IRC 3. They want repulsor beam or BTA, and I give them the repulsors (I'm mainly using heavy beams and missiles, right now). It's a ripoff on tech levels, but no contest in military-industrial terms.

BC 5 comes in soon after that, and the only choice is... ECM 5! WTFBBQ?!? The Silicoid attack against Ryoun is easily beaten back. We switch spy tactic against Silicoids to sabotage, and get a penetration against the Mrrshan, on all fields. I decide on computers, since they have mostly things I don't need. We get BC 3.

The Silicoids have a new design in play, the Whale. I have trouble coming up with a decent design, but ends up with a large with 5 fusion beams and auto-repair.

Celtsi goes radiated in 2438 - just before some new Silicoid designs are due to hit the world. I funnel reserves and go max terraforming. Priceless historical treasures are lost in the radiation.

The Whale is equipped with 13 2xmercs, 26 AMBs and 2 ion cannons. It also has high missile defense - 7, but otherwise it's mediocre. Our massed forces easily deal with the two sent against Celtsi. We also get a low-level penetration against the Mrrshan: planetology or weapon. I'd rather take Barren than NPGs right now. They complain, so I turn off espionage for now.

Cloning comes in, and my gamble pays off: we can choose between Doom Virus and Adv Soil. Adv Soil it is. IRC 3 has done wonders for my economy, I'm now the clear leader in production.

The next interturn we get our first sabotage hit against the Silicoids:

Tyr: 65/155/8
Cryslon: 110/305/19
Crius: 46/104/1
Tau Cygni: 65/260/11

I decide to hit Tyr - it is the only world that I can reach in a reasonable timeframe. The sabotage also scouts the planet! Great, I didn't know our clandestine archeologists were that resourceful! Steppe 65, but down to 20 due to Silicoid mismanagement. Almost all my worlds max out their factories. I'm considering launching a massed ground assault against Tyr, but the world has seven missile bases and hyper-V missiles. It can destroy my largest assault wave in just 4 turns of firing, according to my calculations.

The Darloks declare war, and the attack against Rha is beaten off. With the happy news about sabotage missions, I change the role of the Darlok spy to sabotage, and set the research focus to computer. An attack against Krystlon by the Silicoids are beaten off. The Meklar also ask for a NAP, and I happily agree.

Have I mentioned how happy I am to have a decent selection of engines in this game. This time, it's the AIs who are stuck at warp 1! Hah!

We get shield 6, and should now be invulnerable against AI missiles. Only new choice is cloaking.

Election of 2449, Bulrathi vs Silicoids, 31 votes:

Silicoids: 5 silicoid
Sakkra: 3 bulrathi
Mrrshan: 4 abstain
Meklar: 3 bulrathi
Darlok: 3 silicoid
Bulrathi: 13 bulrathi

Still a little short. Some more votes for us, or one less for the Silicoids, or votes from the Mrrshan should do it.

ECM 5 comes in, and so does the armoured excavation equipment, and the AMT. We can get IRC 5 I(or ECM 6)! And IIT 4 (or Andrium)! The weapons give more corondrum: SP-VII, Auto blaster or Pulsons. I settle on the SP-7. Now I have to set some research priorities: I want IIT 4 to come in before IRC 5. They are both level 28, but since we are poor at computers but good at construction this shouldn't be any problem with an equal ratio between the two. I also would prefer for adv soil to come in after IIT 4, but before IRC 5. So: construction 20, propulsion 10, and the rest 5 clicks each.

Range 9 comes in shortly after, giving options of ISG and range 10. ISG it is. I move 5 clicks from propulsion to construction. We also get contact with the Sakkra. I agree on 225 trade, They offer up IS for trade, but want BTA, repulsor beam or cloning in return, so I decline.

The Meklar complain about our size.

The Silicoids come and ask for peace. I decline, even if they offer 950 BC. The Sakkra wants us to attack the Darloks. The Meklars cancel the NAP. I let the forces at Klystron take a look at Rhílus - which have 7 bases, which smoke the cruiser and few DGs I sent when I don't retreat them at once.

Firma is threatened by a comet, due in 11 turns (2470). I send the mobile forces from Celtsi there. The Sakkra have taken Crius, and the next turn they complain about our size.

IIT 4 comes in, with several new choices: IIT 3, Tritanium and RIW 20%. Tritanium it is. Also, 47% of the comet has been destroyed, in just two years. Focus now goes to planetology, and it comes in in just a few turns. We set terraforming to 25%, and gets new choices: IT 60 and CER. IT 60 it is. And the comet is no more. Focus is now set on computers.

The Silicoids attack us at Incedius, but I've been building bases there for a few turns and the Whale and the Colony snip are destroyed at the loss of one base and one factory.

Our saboteurs have found some new wooden shoes among the Silicoids, and have put them to use. I decide to hit Tyr again, even though it already has been scouted. We destroy four bases, and six remain. A few turns later, the Silicoids ask for peace again, but I decline. The next turn, the Sakkra declare on us. And the turn after, the Meklar. Can you tell I didn't give much notice to diplomacy right now? I set all spies except against the Mrrshan on sabotage.

Wooden shoe artifacts found among the Sakkra, at Tyr. There are no missile bases there, but 100 factories, so the world is now the new target! We also find wooden shoes among the Darloks! Rhilus looses half of its missile bases, now down to four. At 32/155 it is ripe for the picking. The Silicoids ask for peace at the tune of 950 BC, but we decline. 57 soldier-archeologists board the transports to take them to Rhilus. IRC 5 is in, and we set factory build rate to 50%. We have choices of hyperspace comm and BC 8, and take BC 8. Half the forces sent against Rhilus penetrate the defenses, and they easily take the world. New tech:

IIT 9 (obsolete)
Megabolt (yay!)
Plan-shield 5 (yay!)

However, we missed out on radiated, the tech I really was after. I equalise tech priorities, and up trade with the Mrrshan to 325. I manage to hit the missile bases at Quyal (should have hit Nazin, but took the wrong planet), destroying two, and some of my factories are blown up.

Council of 2474, Bulrathis and Silicoids nominated, 35 votes

Silicoids: 7 Silicoids
Sakkra: 3 Silicoids
Mrrshan: 4 abstain
Meklar: 3 Silicoids
Darloks: 2 Silicoids
Bulrathi: 16 Bulrathi

Sad that all the other races have no respect for history... I also decide to prioritise research into weapons, since we can get SP-VII in time for some ships due to attack our colonies. I have also set my Mrrshan spies to sabotage, but use them to foment unrest on their colonies instead of physical sabotage. This way I think my infiltrating archeologists can work more clandestinely, while still scouting out worlds. Fierias is scouted.

SP-VII comes in, and the list of weapons technologies is now ridiculously long:

GaussAC (Gatling, Hyper-X, MassD, NBlast, GBeam, Stinger, Pulson, GaussAC, Hercular, PCannon)

The Darloks are also starting to use ships with repulsor beams, so I'll have to work on some counter to that - heavy beams or cloaks both work. Or maybe AMTs. We'll see. The Darloks contact me and want peace. We reject their offer. Tech priority is set to construction, since Tritanium will double the hit points of our transports, but I need some more ground combat tech in the other fields when they come up.

My wooden shoe-wielding archeologists destroy two missile bases at Tyr, and one at Nazin, which now is scouted. They also spread educational pamphlets about history and archeology on Mobas. We learn the secrets of cloaking devices, and the only new choice is Zyro, and our students have to identify a Nemesis. The other races have absolutely no idea about the proper preservation of archeological findings: the colony at Crius has been destroyed again.

Four missile bases at Sssla learn the power of the wooden shoe, and the Sakkra have made a proper mess of the planet! Our educationary efforts now reach Imra, and we learn Tritanium. Our transports should now be far more survivable when they run the missile gauntlet! Lets review all the possible technologies available for research:

Powered Armour (IIT 7, IIT 6, RIW 40%, Andrium, IIT 3, RIW 20%, ADC, Powered Armour)

The ADC is tempting, but not so much as the most advanced archeological suit known to bearkind!
Tech is equalised again. I do a try to invade Sssla even though 12 bases remain, sending 60 from Klystron. Paladia receives some educationary efforts, which are very successful. Our spies at Sssla manage to destroy five missile bases just as the forces of cataloguisation are to arrive, and Helos is the target of some educationary efforts. 38 soldier-archeolists, out of 60, make it past the seven missile bases on Sssla, and take the world without further losses. The archeological exoskeletons will see far heavier use in cleaning up all the waste on the planets, and sifting it for valuable artifacts.

We learn:

Toxic (not bad, if we knew about any toxic worlds)

And that's it? Stupid Sakkra, covering everything of interest in a thick layer of pollution! And then they death spore their own home world! Luckily, I manage to destroy all but one of the spore ships before it reaches the planet, and already have the antidote at hand.

We also destroy four missile bases at Aquilae, and manage to frame the Meklars. We also learn about ISGs. We have to learn the HEF now.

We are starting to look at a design able to handle the mechanised vehicle known as the Guardian. The megabolt cannon has been determined to be the weapon of choice, and we also know the cloaking device and advanced armours. A better computer is needed, but it is being developed.

The Sakkra attempting to re-take Sssla were killed, and they ask for peace. I agree. The Silicoids have re-settled Crius. Trade at 25/year is opened with the Sakkra, and I get IS for BTA, as a sign of our goodwill. The Mrrshan are extraordinarily receptive to our educationary efforts, and Paladia receives some more - now at 17%.

Woohoo! The Meklars have researched the ASS! Our clandestine archeologists take off their wooden shoes, but so far they have been extraordinarily resistant to our efforts. Just a little later, however, we get a low-level penetration against them, at construction only. We learn IIT 7. A few quiet turns, mostly doing a crash program to stand up Sssla. Some more educationary program at Paladia, having reached 22% of the population there. The Mrrshan also cancels the NAP. We educate the Sakkra at Drakka, and puts a wooden shoe into a missile base at Tyr.

New tech: Zyro shield, IT 60 and GaussAC.

PBS (Stasis, PBS, shield XI)
UA (UA, IT 80, BioTerm)
Pulse phasor (only new choice)

Spica goes rich! And the galactic council, Bulrathis vs Silicoids, in 2499, 37 votes

Silicoids: 7 Silicoids
Sakkra: 1 Bulrathi
Mrrshan: 4 abstain
meklar: 3 Silicoids
Darlok: 2 Silicoids
Bulrathi: 20 Bulrathi

IT 60 will add another 8 votes to our tally, making it 28/45 - still not enough. I turn off spying on the Sakkra and Mrrshan, tell our spies there to hide and ups our efforts against the Meklar. I also tell them to use their wooden shoes again. I can't guarantee getting ASS on spying, but invading a planet will make it much easier to get through later spying efforts.

I sepnd heavily from reserves in order to make our planets stand up to IT 60 as quickly as possible. After that it is time to build up a network of ISGs. The wooden shoes strike at Maretta, destroying two Silicoid missile bases, and the same a few years later at Misha. This means all the Silicoid worlds have been scouted now.

The Darloks have got hit by the plague at Kulthos. It had been going for quite some time, but now they've found the cure. Checking spy reports, I find that the strategic situation just got more dangerous - both the Silicoids and the Meklar have warp 5 now, so weakly defended worlds get missile bases added to them.

Our spies, in the 2506-2507 interturn, finally penetrate the Meklar technological vaults, with choices of computers, planetology, propulsion and weaponry. We take computers and get - ASS! We can even frame the Silicoids!

Galactic domination, here we come! Technology is focused on computers, construction and propulsion, which are in the percentages. Tyr is set up for catalogisation. Powered archeological armour comes in, just in the nick of time. Adamantium is the only new choice, sadly, so I go back to RIW 20%, then IIT 3 to pick up the armours later.

Our wooden shoes strike at Vulcan, a Meklar world so rich in artifacts they cannot be allowed to hold it any longer. Six, fully half, of the missile bases are destroyed, and we can frame the Silicoids. We also learn BC 8. Only new choice is ECM 8.

Losses against the bases at Tyr were heavier than expected, but 25 Bulrathi are still more than 95 Silicoids. We learn:

IT 30 (ok)
Stinger (woo!)
IT 40 (ok)

The Silicoids ask for peace. We decline. The Mrrshan declare war. I also finally remember the ISGs. They go up at the rich worlds, Sssla and Rha. HEF comes in, and warp 7 is selected over SSTs. I also design a ship to handle the Guardian:

DD 4A-D: BC 8, ECM 3, 54 HP, warp 7, man 6, 1 GaussAC, cloak and IS

I'm contemplating exchanging the ECM 3 against a Zyro shield, but I think the 3 extra levels of ECM will help more. Research is concentrated on propulsion. 3 missile bases at Berel are destroyed, and the world is set for liberation. Berel liberated, and we get the warning about the other races preparing for catalogisation.

New tech from Berel:

IT 10 (ok)

Six missile bases are destroyed at Quayal, and we should be ready to liberate another world. I send some DGs to Sssla for a first field test, and they successfully destroy all the Darloks ships that just arrived there. Two missile bases destroyed at Nazin. Aquilae is about to go supernova, so maybe we must liberate that world too, if it is to be saved. The Sakkra threaten us.

Aquilae liberated. New tech:

Shield 3

The Sakkra declare war.

Quayal liberated! Aquilae needs 1386 RP in eight years. We get new tech:

Battle suits (ok)
Grav beam (old)
Shield 5 (old)
Merc (old)
BC 4 (ok)

But no radiated tech... year is 2518. Need to invade a few more Darlok worlds.

Use spare DD 4s to beat off attack against new colonies. Also manages to destroy four (six 'remains) missile bases at Vulcan, framing the Silicoids. The Silicoids ask for peace, but we deny it.

We destroy a few probes from other races, and get an infiltration against the Darloks, computer, planetology or weapons. Go for planetology! Get tundra. Bleh. Warp 7 comes in, so our transports should be far faster and more survivable from now on. And we can get Combat transporters!

52 out of 80 soldier-archeologists manage to land on Vulcan. They take the planet with but a single loss. New tech:

Warp 5 (good)
AER (great!)
Phasor (great!)
O-V bomb (meh)
Warp diss (great!)
Neutran blaster (meh)

Three missile bases get wooden shoes at Cryslon, 21 remains, and we managed to save the artifacts at Aquilae. Plenty of factories gets blown up at Aquilae, and it's the council again:

Council of 2424, Silicoids vs Bulrathi, 49 votes:

Silicoids: 7 silicoids
Sakkra: 1 Silicoids
Mrrshan: 4 Silicoids
Meklar: 2 Silicoids
Darlok: 3 Silicoids
Bulrathi: 32 Bulrathi

Misses domination with one vote! 25 years to go!

The turn after my game hung itself, and I lost the turn with the vote, so I'll have to re-do the council. But first a spy report:

Silicoids:
IRC 4, BC 7
Range 8
Hyper-X, AMB, Hard Beam

Sakkra:
ECM 1
Gatling, AMR, Hard beam

Mrrshan
NPG, Mass Driver, Hard beam

Meklar
-

Darlok
ECM 1
EER, Radiated
NPG

Of these, only Radiated is of any real value. Most races have SP-V missiles, or Stingers. The Mrrshan have nothing but Hyper-V. Noone has any greater ground combat bonus that +30, while we have 65, excluding our intrinsic bonus.

Pulse phasors come in, and we get a choice:

Plasma rifle (Zeon, Plasma rifle, SP-X)

All are valid choices, but only the best to our soldier-archeologists!

Reprise council of 2424, Silicoids vs Bulrathi, 49 votes:

Silicoids: 7 silicoids
Sakkra: 1 Silicoids
Mrrshan: 4 Silicoids
Meklar: 2 Silicoids
Darlok: 3 Silicoids
Bulrathi: 32 Bulrathi

The Mrrshan asks for peace the next turn, I decline. Time to start planning the galactic conquest:

Tech-wise, the Darloks hold the most interesting tech. To maximise the chance of getting that, we should learn NPG from the Mrrshan first, and ECM 1 from the Sakkra. We cannot take all the Silicoid worlds until we have taken Radiated from the Darloks, but we can take non-hostile Silicoid worlds already.

The Mrrshan worlds are closest to our core, so the order should be:

Mrrshan
Sakkra
Darlok
Silicoid hostiles

Meklar and Silicoid non-hostiles can be taken over at any time.

A Silicoid attack at Berel is destroyed. RIW 20% comes in, and we go back further to IIT 3. Mobas and Fierias conquered, but we failed to intercept the Mrrshan fleet at Paladia, so our transports were all destroyed. We also get the research virus event, destroying 3522 RP in weapons research. We learn:

Hard beam, NPG and Mass Driver, ie all the Mrrshan techs. UA comes in, and we select IT 100. The Mrrshan bomb Helos, destroying the colony, but we manage to take Kulthos and Paladia, destroying the Mrrshan empire. We also learn ECM 1, IIT 6, EER and Radiated from Kulthos. The Meklar say that together we can face the might of the Mrrshan empire. We fail to take Tay Cygni, but Iranha is taken. New tech:

Gatling, AMB, range 8, IRC 4, BC 7, Hyper-X

The Meklar ask for peace, but we say no. We learn PBS, and destroys various alien forces flying around. After PBS we have a choice of Plan shield XX and shield XII - the planetary shield gets the nod. The Silicoids ask for peace, but we reject it.

The next turn we learn Combat transporters. Time for some real serious ground assults now! We select Displacement as the next tech - it was the only new choice. We get quizzed for some reason, and our kindergarten cubs easily identify the Cyclops.

The Darloks ask for peace, and are told no. I send my forces against Orion. It grieves us to destroy such a marvelous artifact as the Guardian, but the Orion calls us.

We senn 163 DD 4A, 238 DD 4B, 230 DD 4C and 234 DD 4D. Also colony ships, and 11 CA 7A, our latest large design:

CA 7A: warp 7, man 7, HEF, BS, 7 GaussAC, a-level 9 and 300 HP.

After the battle, 4 CA 7A and 41 DD 4A remain, together with all the other DD 4 designs. So a loss of 7 larges and 120 mediums. Losses could probably have been lower with better maneuvers. Wooden shoes are inserted into five missile bases on Meklon. Orion settled in 2535, and Helos is re-settled. We learn the following new technologies:

Death Ray
Neutronium bomb
IIT 3
Adamantium

Not a very good haul, really, given that we were researching two of the techs already, and the bomb is useless to us. Research continues with neutronium.

We learn ECM 8, and destroy five bases at Tau Cygni. ECM 9 is the only new choice. Tau Cygni is captured, but there are still Silicoid warships over the planet. Drakka is also captured, destroying the Sakkra empire, and the Darloks congratulate us on standing up to the Sakkra. Four missile bases are destroyed at Mu Delphi, and Tau Cygni is made safe.

Wooden shoes are found in seven missile bases on Cryslon, 17 remains. Crius is liberated, and then held against the Darloks. 22 Bulrathi are more than 170 Meklars at Meklon, with 21 remaining Bulrathi on the planet. Artemis is liberated, with new tech. An amoeba is found approaching the galaxy. The new tech is AMR.

The amoeba is moving in the extreme north of the galaxy, above Phantos. Part of our fleet is moving to Firma and Phantos. We learn about Plasma rifles, and continue with SP-X. The only new choice is Maulers. Only eight transports manage to land on Draconis, held by the Silicoid, but they still take the planet. Mu Delphi and Omicron is also taken, and the Meklar empire is no more. We capture the knowledge about Enerby pulsars.

Cryslon is assulted, and only five manage to make it past the missile bases. They still manage to take the planet, held by 105 Silicoids. Nazin and Obaca are also liberated, destroying the Darlok empire. Maretta is taken in 2343-44 and only Misha remains to be liberated. Soldier-archeologists are en route.

The amoeba seems to be going towards Zoctan. Our forces easily navigate the nebula around Misha and take the planet. Extermination win in 2545!

Some of this may be obvious to you folks, but I just wanted to give a thorough overview of common equipment choices in PvP, IE what to bring for your build, and why it makes sense so you can make your own informed judgements. For now I am going to focus on 8v8 especially GvG, and ignore splits as we are trying to minimize them in our build, but splits can benefit from slightly different setups.

Martial Weapons

Inscriptions:

+15% damage > 50 HP is near always the preferred choice, because the condition is fairly easy to meet. If you fall below half for any decent length of time, you're probably dead anyway.

A few builds need +5 energy, most notably energy-intensive utility ranger like crippling shot, or some assassin combos. Both of those characters don't lose a whole lot from the extra damage, since Cripshots are all about conditions, and most assassin damage comes from skills. (the 15>50 only affects base weapon damage.)

Suffix: just about always Fortitude. Extra health provides the best protection against spikes and is especially beneficial when you are under DP.

Prefix: this is where things get interesting.

Vampiric is the primary weapon of most melee characters, because the life stealing has the best Damage per Second, and any health loss is usually mopped up by party heals. (often you gain health under vampiric anyway)

An elemental weapon is useful for attacking warriors, who have +20 armor against physical damage. You want to swap into this whenever attacking or spiking a warrior.

Zealous is useful on faster-attacking weapons for some builds, IE generally not hammers/scythes. Warriors can push frenzy more often if they pick up extra energy from zealous. You need to be vigilant about swapping out of it when you aren't attacking to avoid the energy degeneration.

Sundering, everyone's favorite, is only viable for the highest damage of weapons- scythes especially, and borderline for hammers. They have slightly less DPS, but they can randomly make larger spike damage if your critical and sundering chance trigger together. Some prefer that extra random damage for pushing a lucky kill through against strong defenses.

Characters with spammable, short-duration conditions often bring a condition-lengthing mod. A ranger with apply poision typically uses a poison bow, while a cripshot ranger will bring crippling. Warriors with a deep wound on the other hand don't bother, because deep wound is not applied often, and is so dangerous that the opponent should die if it isn't cleaned quickly anyway.

Shields for warriors/paragons always have fortitude mods. The default inscription is usually 20% blind reduction, but you may find switching to weakness or cripple reduction shields useful depending on what the opposing team is using to shut you down. Getting around blind is still the most beneficial if the enemy team has any at all, because blinds are for short durations and may be weathered out instead of being removed.

In addition to the above, rangers need to keep in mind their bow types. For condition-based rangers using apply poison or barbed arrows, recurve bows are favored for their superior flight speed, which makes interrupting much easier. Interrupting in a longbow can be a nightmare if you've tried it. For read-the-wind type rangers, flatbows are common.

While the flatbow normally has terrible flight time and an enormous arc, the extra speed from read the wind negates this, and these prep rangers want both the superior attack speed and distance a flatbow has to offer. Likewise this bow is vampiric so they can do additional direct damage. A short bow should be kept on swap in case Read the Wind is interrupted and disabled for a time, so you can keep up the fast attacks.

Finally, don't forget to customize your pvp weapons on pve characters: the +20% damage bonus is significant.

Caster Weapons:

A 40/40 set or two are the caster's mainstay. (20% faster cast and 20% recharge on (attribute) wand and focus.) You will want this for your one or two main spell attributes on your skillbar. Half recharge gives you much more flexibility on when you can use your skills, and makes your build more efficient if you have the energy. Half cast time is both for efficiency, but it also makes your skills harder to interrupt. Rangers and mesmers can interrupt even 3/4th-second cast skills on reflex, so hitting your half cast time affords some protection against that. It can also help you making a critical save like a heal or blind.

40/enchanting staves benefit a few builds. (20% + 20% faster cast on <attribute>, 20% enchanting, 20% built-in half spell recharge). Such a prot staff is a requirement for using Aegis, lengthing both the critical duration and making the long 2s cast less vulnerable to interrupts. Prot monks spend most of their time in this set, opting for extra enchantment duration over the faster recharge. Here you trade off the flexibility of recharge for better energy efficiency on your enchantment duration.

One or sometimes two high-energy sets are also used. This is a wand and/or focus with +15 energy/-1 energy regeneration. Think of this as an emergency pool to fall back on when you're in trouble, but you don't want to stay in it long due to the degeneration. If possible, you want to cast a spell in the high set, then switch back to something else to conserve energy regen. While commonly used by defensive characters, offensive types can also use this to push through a key kill when their energy is out.

As a last note, even casters should use customized staves/wands as that damage is occasionally relevant.

Defensive Sets

Defense sets are common on casters, but they apply just as much to martial characters too, including rangers. Whenever you are taking a fair amount of damage (or better, see that you will be soon), or you are a caster with a warrior on your back, you want to play in defensive set as much as you can. Very good players are expert at swapping weapons while casting a spell, and immediatly swapping back to shield as it finishes, to ensure they have the protection up when they need it against a sudden spike.

A defense set features a one-handed weapon (usually spear) with fortitude and + or - 5 energy. +5 energy gives you flexibility to use skills, while -5 is useful for "energy hiding". E.G. a monk being harrased by energy surge or debilitating shot, can switch into this -5 set to protect their energy. Energy drain skills can't drain below 0 energy, so this protects the pool of energy you have when you switch back to your 40/40 set. Note that sword/axe warriors can stick with their usual weapons, only the shield changes.

For the shield, you're going to have fortitude handle and +10 armor vs <damage type> inscriptions. You'll only have room for one weapon slot most likely, so that means switching the shields around in your inventory depending on the damage type. If lazy you can size up the enemy team near the start of the match and just put the most generally useful shield on: e.g. piercing against dual ranger, blunt if you see a hammer, fire if there are eles around. Good players keep an inventory window open in some corner so they have quick access to thier various shield sets. The additional armor from inscriptions on top of the shield armor just grants the best protection you can get, even if the inscription is only mitigating damage from one or two opposing characters.

In addition to the above, a cripple reduction shield is handy, if you are playing against a team on Burning isle, it will allow you to move much faster through the lava.

Speaking of....

Armor

Survivor insignias are the standard, because they offer the most consistent form of protection. Most +armor mods are conditional, and a balanced spike comes from many different damage sources. While the survivor won't reduce the damage you take, it will provide an extra buffer so that monks have more time to react to spikes. The extra health is also important to help counteract DP, which can accrue from base rezzes in close GvG games.

There are but a few exceptions from the above, and they mostly apply to practically unconditional boosts on high-armor midliners. Most paragons wear centaurion since they always have at least aggressive refrain up. A mesmer with 4+ signets (like the signet smite mesmer) gets +12 unconditional armor from artificers. Both characters sit in shield sets all the time for the extra health and armor, and do so well within range of the monks. But for example +armor while enchanted (or not enchanted) on dervishes is not reliable, because enchant removal (or protting) are common on spikes.

Axe warriors playing Shock may also opt for a few radiant mods, to give them extra energy to play around the exhaustion.

Attribute runes and hat bonus are dictated by your build, all minors (barring sup vigor) except for certain high-armor/self defense stand midliners like paragons and rangers. Any spare spots should go to vitae runes for extra spike protection. Physicals sometimes use a blind/weakness reduction rune, and for rit flaggers w/out condition removal, cripple reduction is useful against the current melandru's/cripshot/caltrops meta.

Finally at the risk of irritating wyrm, I also want to mention hero casters if we need to use them. Without weapon swaps it's a pain to manage them, and easiest if you give them one general set. You also need to compensate for their tendancy for bad positioning and being easy targets for the enemy team. On the typical caster I prefer a +60 HP staff with 20% faster cast on <attribute>. That gives them a decent pool, gives them faster recharges, a cushion against spiking, and maintains their distance better with wanding (vs reduced range of spears). A signet mesmer hero is an exception for having so few spells and high armor from insignias, I'd put them in a defensive shield set.

So a summary of the common equipment configurations:

Martial Weapon: 15>50 of fortitude (or +5 for energy-hungry ranger/sin)
Vampiric and elemental swaps
Sundering for hammers/scythes
Zealous if relevant to build
Condition lengthen Recurve for condition rangers (e.g. cripshot, melshot, apply), vampiric flatbow for attacking NPCs and Read the Wind rangers.
Shields for warrior/para should have fortitude blind, weakness, and cripple reducing sets.

Caster Weapon:
20% half cast time/half recharge on <attribute> wand and focus- possibly two depending on build
40% half cast time <attribute>/20% enchanting staff for enchanting builds
+15 energy/-1 energy regeneration wand and focus, with 20% hct/hr on each, or +30 HP on focus for defensive chars.

Defensive Set:
One-handed martial weapon with +/-5 energy and fortitude
Shields with fortitude and 10 armor vs <damage type>
Cripple reducing shield of fortitude

Armor:
Survivor insignias, sometimes unconditional +armor on non-squishies
Minor attribute runes, superior vigor, viate for rest. Stand ranger/paras sometimes use major.
Blind/weakness reduction on physicals is an option.
Cripple reduction on removal-less rit flagger is desirable.

Hero Casters:
60 HP staff with 20% HCT on <attribute>

Now you should be able to figure out your own equipment templates on builds, but if not ask away!

The big update has gone live now.

Details

Many pros and a few cons... Remember all those books that are so annoying to lug around everywhere? *sigh* Oh well. Time to make some more room I suppose.

Most may have already seen the latest battle.net news: Blizzard closed over 7.700 Warcraft 3 and over 350,000 StarCraft and Diablo II accounts because the were found to be using third-party hacks.

Usually i won't bother BUT! i've also read about bans happening to people who only used the modified d2gfx.dll to run multiple game instances at once on the same system. Since some of our DieHard players also use this DLL for exp gain, self-muling or to prevent HC death gear loss i decided to hand out a word of warning.

Source BBC NEWS

Quote:The closure of a web hosting firm that is believed to have had spam gangs as clients has led to a drastic reduction in junk mail.

Two US internet service providers have pulled the plug on the firm McColo following an investigation by the Washington Post newspaper.

Anti-spam firm Ironport has seen junk mail levels drop by 70% since McColo was taken offline on 11 November.

But, it warned, it will be a temporary respite from the menace of spam.

Plug pulled

"It is an unprecedented drop but will be a temporary outage as the networks move from North America to places where there is less scrutiny," said Jason Steer, a spokesman for Ironport.

The Washington Post has been gathering data on McColo for the past four months and passed the information to its internet service providers, Global Crossing and Hurricane Electric.

Both decided to pull the plug on the firm on Tuesday.

It is believed that it hosted gangs running botnets - networks of computers that have been taken over by criminals to send malicious software and spam.

According to MessageLabs, botnets are responsible for over 90% of spam.

Increasingly the tech industry is fighting back.

"All the US internet peering companies are under much more scrutiny. The authorities and the internet community have woken up to the problem," said Mr Steer.

But while it might make criminals think more carefully about what they do, it will not stop them, he thinks.

"Spam levels will come back to normal as we build up to Thanksgiving and Christmas," he said.

A recent study by computer scientists from the University of California, Berkeley and UC, San Diego (UCSD) found that spammers manage to turn a profit despite only getting one response to every 12.5m emails they send

I keep getting the following warning as I re installed Diablo II and LOD

Unhandled Exception: Access_Violation (c0000005)

What is going on here?

Occhi

Better late than never:

http://www.garath.net/Sullla/imp13results.html

There were some really exceptional reports, not just from the usual suspects like RefSteel and Megafrost, but also from KnTenshi. Go read his haunting account if you haven't done so already.

Thanks to all our participants!

Congrats to our participants!

http://www.garath.net/Sullla/epic22results.html

Both T-Hawk and timmy827 submitted some exceptionally fast Cultural finishes, even given the unusual nature of the variant. It looked like everyone had a good time; I hope you enjoyed this one.

Ok, so Fox and I were throwing build ideas around and we decided that figuring out who we've got and building around what they can do, rather than making a build and then asking people to pick their roles, would be the way to go. In other words, we didn't want to make a build that had 2 mesmers in it only to find out that we don't actually have 2 people in the guild that can, or want to, play mesmer. So, if you're interested in participating, leave a post here with the roles you want to play. Bear in mind that I'll more than likely be playing a warrior (or some other frontline), and whatever build we come up with will probably only have 2 frontliners in it.

Eek?

What's going on with the cape at moment? It looks like we're running the Wintersday colour scheme two months early...

I'm a bit worried that during one of his drinking binges Kronin might start running around Lion's Arch pretending to be a set of traffic lights.