Part 31

Fake Sensor Readings: Manually spread out scouts in open formations and move them slowly to emulate capital ship readings on enemy sensors (minimap (the small circular map in the bottom-left corner of your screen)). This can tie up enemy fleet assets. This is more effective with defenders due to their speed and fuel capacity.

Cloaked Strike Fleet: Cloak a strike fleet capable of major damage. Add a few scouts and use other scouts in open formations moved slowly to emulate sensor capital ship readings. Move at least 3 scout groups towards the enemy Mothership (MS). Pragmatic players will send scouts in your strike fleet; move your scouts out of the cloak field and engage their scouts. This can make it appear as if it is a completely fake fleet movement, allowing your strike fleet to move in unaware and unprepared.

Resource Cloud Hiding: In space (SP), you can hide frigates in resource clouds if they do not have a sensors array.

Ramming: Set a course through an enemy ship (ensure yours is bigger), set to aggressive, then cancel their orders as they move to engage. This will destroy the enemy ship. Carriers and cruisers are best for this tactic.

Hyperspace Trap: Cloak your entire fleet, leaving only your Mothership (MS) visible. Put scouts in an open formation somewhere on your map as a subterfuge to lure them in via hyperspace or normal drives. If they hyperspace in, decloak and open fire. They have three choices: hyperspace out, fight, or be destroyed. Ships running expose their rear to 160% damage, making escape difficult. If you have a bigger fleet or use better tactics, they will lose the fight. If they hyperspace out, they lose resources in hyperspace usage. Alternatively, you can use a gravity well to trap and steal them, resulting in a double loss (hyperspace costs and ship costs).

Cloaked Fighters for Emulation: Cloaked fighters are worthless in combat. However, if the enemy has a sensors array, build a few and put them into open wall formations to emulate capital ships. Move these around the opposing MS at a considerable distance. Group them so you can decloak and move a little, then cloak again, repeating with different groups. This tactic can confuse opponents about the enemy strike fleet's origin.

Carrier Ambush (Instant Launch): Build a carrier dock and as many fighters as you can. Build an assault frigate and an ion cannon frigate, and anything else. Pause just before completion and resume when you arrive at the enemy MS. Frigates emerging from the carrier and instantly launched fighters create a deadly strike force. Including a support frigate results in an instant strike team.

Carrier Ambush (Delayed Launch): Build a carrier and send it directly towards the enemy MS, building as many ion cannon frigates or assault frigates as you can within it. They won't be able to come out due to the carrier's speed. When the carrier arrives, all the ion cannons will emerge, potentially making the opponent think you are cheating, but it is a legal tactic. On the sensors (minimap), it appears as just a carrier, but it is much more.

Carrier Ambush (Production Pause): You can pause production right before a certain ship is complete, then hyperspace. This is best with the Taiidan Mothership or carriers. The Kushan MS requires opening and closing doors. You can only build a single of each capital ship type this way, but a heavy cruiser, destroyer, or three frigates emerging can be decisive.

Ion Cannon Fighter Defense: With enough ion cannon frigates, you can stop a frontal fighter assault. The ion cannon beams form a cone that fighters must fly through in formation, which you can use to your advantage.

Hyperspace Feint: Hyperspace your fleet away to a short distance from your current position. Hyperspace something else small far away or even at the enemy MS to lure the enemy into chasing it.

Hyperspace Diversion: Hyperspace small objects behind the enemy MS. They cannot see what it is without line of sight unless it is massive (like an MS, carrier, or cruiser). You can have them run to intercept something small, as all purple hyperspace blobs (inwards or outbound) appear the same size on the sensors managers (minimap).

Hyperspace Deception: Hyperspace something harmless to the rear of an enemy MS. Let it die, then hyperspace in the rest of your fleet. This may trick the opponent into thinking it is just a skirmish fleet.

Hyperspace Defense Lure: Hyperspace something small behind the enemy MS so they call off their attack to defend their MS.