Campaign Guide

Cadet Hardly's Campaign Primer

Starting Fleet

CV-3 ANS Harsh Winds Blow "Windy"

Worden-class converted Fleet Carrier

• 8x small craft pads - launch fighters to defend - Use the Katana's 15mm coilgun
• 4x large craft pads - launch bombers to strike
• 288 size 2 VLS tubes - flexible, quick response missiles - Simple ACT only Thunderheads are handy for assessing target defenses
• 5x Defender, 2x Sarissa PDTs - near and long-range CIWS-type defenses - best to ensure these never need to fire!

FFG-897 ANS Stout Coral + FFG-897 ANS Loom of Karina "General-purpose Frigates"

• 2x 120mm turrets - lightweight cannons, can use RPF ammo - proximity fuzed, great against fast unarmored targets
• Bullseye FCR - provides high quality radar locks - How to make friends with cruiser captains!
• Parallax search radar - can do a powerful "BRN" ping - good for scouting, can help see through jamming
• 24x size 2 VLS tubes - limited by useful missile load

General Tips and Hints

• Fuel - take advantage of opportunities to top up, else a ship may get left behind - pay attention to fuel warnings
• Map - use the info here to plan your path, especially watch for friendly ship beacons
• Tutorials - if something feels stuck, save your campaign and check the tutorials. They cover a lot of complex systems in detail
• Formation Orders - you can give orders to multiple ships at once, using the Shift-Right Click menu - to setup a formation, use Shift-F to then link to another ship to follow.
• Scouting - early detection gives you time to react (and targets to shoot) - find out what's what before stuff starts hitting the wall
• Time Controls - Half-speed is great to help comprehend (and admire!) complex battles. - Accelerated speeds are handy for post-battle logistics
• Boarding - grab ammo and supplies where you can - skiffs can quickly check what's available - beware of damaged reactors - if you see X DANGER. Undock and RUN!
• Repairs - docking at a station will add 50% to a components maximum repair cap. Shipyards will add 100%, allowing for complete repairs

Anti-Ship Missiles

Anti-Ship Missiles	Guidance	Range	Seeker	Note	Note 2
SGM-333 "Forgetfulness"	Direct	4km	ACT/[CMD]	Standard Torpedo	Claymore's best friend
SGM-222 "Hurricane"	Direct	15km	CMD	Extra punch for frigates	Needs to maintain track until impact
SGM-204 "Thunderhead"	Cruise	15km	ACT	Cheap and plentiful, easy to decoy or jam	Great for probing attacks
SGM-204 "Thunderhead Block IV"	Cruise	15km	ACT/[EO]	Much harder to deceive	Say "NO" to chaff
SGM-210 "Squall"	Cruise	15km	ARAD	Seeks jammers and radars
SGM-H-288 "Cyclone" Block III	Cruise	20km	EO	ignores most jamming, sprint stage evades most defenses	For when you need it dead, RIGHT NOW, no excuses.

Anti-Craft and Defensive Missiles

Anti-Craft and Defensive Missiles	Range	Seeker	Note	Note 2
SGM-H-243 "Tornado"	15km	ACT/[CMD]	Ship-launched anti-craft interceptor missile	Great, but can be overenthusiastic. Switch from AREA > POINT, and use Z-key to queue manual launches if you need to.
SGM-112 "Riposte"	3.4km	CMD	Short-ranged anti-missile interceptor (AMM)	Move some from VLS to magazine to equip your fighters
SGM-185 "Remise"	3.5km	ACT/[CMD]	Mid-range delux craft launched ACM	These are very good
SGM-122 "Bolt	2km	ACT	Short-range dogfighting missile	These can be salvaged from most enemy ships

Carrier's Craft Wing

• 12x B-86T Claymore bomber - Anti-ship heavy hitter - Claymores are your premium tool for SMASH!

    * Size 3 weapon bay - carries 2x torpedoes or bombs
    * MCC guidance module - MCC allows use of CMD-guided torps, difficult to decoy without rare comms jammers

• 46x PF-440V Tanto Interceptor - Workhorse void supremacy craft - Escort all the things. Limited fuel endurance, so plan ahead for rotating flights.

    * 20mm nose gun Use for anti-craft, leave the missile defense to Katanas
    * Size 1 weapon bay - 4 internal mounts for missiles and bombs, 4 external hardpoints can handle EW or gunpods
    * MCC guidance module - MCC allows use of Riposte and Remise missiles

• 3x E-44 Sundial SEWAC - Precious and Powerful Radar platform

    * Powerful long-range search radar Use these to find and monitor hostile activity - What's behind that rock? Why is it so quite? Where are all those @#$% missiles coming from?.
    * vulnerable to attack, escort with tantos

• 4x RS-35 Halberd Skiff - Jack of all trades

    * 35mm nose turret defensive turret, but punchy enough to hurt shuttles in a pinch
    * 4x Size 1 missile hardpoints
    * passive ELINT sensor package - ELINT makes skiffs very useful as sensor pickets, but can't provide range without another offset skiff to crossfix.
    * can scout wrecks to assess potential salvage - Super handy post-battle

• 10x PF-440C Katana Interceptor - Elite Tanto variant - Use to guard your ships from missiles

    * 15mm 6-shot coilgun - high-tech, high impact. King of the dogfight (while ammo lasts) - In air combat, support these with Tanto-Vs, and retreat when out of ammo
    * Size 1 weapon bay - same carrying capacity as a regular Tanto

Ammo Selection Addendum

    * If you see sparks from ricochets, switch to AP 
    * If you see shells punch through, switch to HE 
    * If its small, use RPF 

• This is a rough rule-of-thumb, but will let you fire something useful in most situations.

Key: X -> Y = “shoot X to damage, then finish with Y”
X or Y = “use X, but Y has situational uses”. Lack of bolding indicates either works
X :-( = “your best option, but alas, it won’t do much”

Ammo Selection Chart

ANS firing at...	120mm	250mm	450mm
Shuttle/Ferryman	RPF-> HE	RPF -> HE	HE
Tug/Draugr	RPF -> HE	RPF -> HE	HE
MN Flathead (angle)	AP	HE	AP
MN Flathead (flat)	AP	AP	HE -> AP
CVL Journeyman	HE	HE	HE
CC Ocello (bow)	AP	AP	AP
CC Ocello (flat)	AP	HE	HE
LN Marauder (bow)	AP or HE	HE or AP	HE or AP
LN Marauder (flat)	HE or AP	HE	HE
CLN Moorline	HE or AP	HE	HE