The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 4

The Factions of Infinite Space, Part 4: Muktians and Tan Ru

In this post, we will take a look at the last two original races of Infinite Space, the Muktians and Tan Ru. The former are described as "fickle and cautious highly intelligent yellow slug-like beings", while the Tan Ru are perpetually hostile multi-legged robots known for being "oblivious to biological life". Both factions are formidable opponents in combat, but which one should you fear the most? We're here to find out.

The Muktians were the only truly neutral race in the original game, and would never attack unless provoked, but would become your allies in exchange for any Muktian ships in your fleet rejoining them if you had those. However, in combat, they can be tricky adversaries due to their powerful anti-capital ship Fission Missile Racks and rapid-fire point-defense Molybdenum Cone Cannons. In addition, they may protect their homeworld, Bandur, with a space station late in the game; the station can launch up to three fighters at a time and also carries three turrets, making it a tough nut to crack. Wide fields of fire are a feature of most Muktian ships, but their rear-quadrant blind spot, though small, can still be exploited by an astute attacker, and their subterranean heritage prevents most Muktians from fully exploiting their ships' true potential. However, they will obtain Multi-Missile Launchers late in the game, and any ships so equipped will not only be a real pain to fight against, but also a very effective ally to have.

The Tan Ru have always been an absolute nightmare for the unprepared; being mechanical lifeforms, they cannot be negotiated with under any circumstances. Also, their primary weapons (Micro-Meteorite Guns for most capital ships, Particle Vortex Cannons for Decimators, and Gauss Cannons for Dominators and Fabricators) have a high enough damage output for one to think twice about attacking them without adequate equipment. Yet while their drones are formidable when massed, they can be picked off easily with fast-firing anti-starfighter weaponry. Moreover, except for the Decimator, Dominator and Fabricator, most Tan Ru ships are not very effective in long- or medium-range combat. They are very dangerous at close range though, so keep your distance.

A Muktian flotilla engaging three Garthan frigates. Top: The fighters sacrifice themselves in softening up the Garthans. Middle: The Garthans even the odds at close range but are overwhelmed by the greater damage per shot of the Muktian weapons. Bottom: The sole survivor, a Muktian corvette, admires the fireworks after the battle.

A quick look at their fleets' performance in actual combat shows how effective their weaponry can be against most foes. While the Muktians aren't the best pilots by a long shot, their high-damage weaponry is very potent in most circumstances, although the Cone Cannon has a slower fire rate than a chaingun or railgun. However, massed Muktian fighters can be quite deadly, and even though the missiles can be shot down by point-defense weapons, a large number of them will overwhelm even these defenses.

Muktians defending a station. Top: A salvo of missiles is unleashed as reinforcements arrive. Bottom: The last remaining Garthans fall victim to the superior firepower of the surviving Muktian vessels.

In fact, when a Muktian multi-missile is fired, its target will have a hard time avoiding a direct hit since the multi-missile splits into six smaller missiles shortly after launch, making the cluster very difficult to intercept. In addition, a Muktian Station can be a tricky target due to its effective defenses and its ability to launch three fighters at once; the only way to destroy the station without suffering excessive casualties is to overwhelm it with lots of powerful long-range weapons.

A Terran frigate in action against two Tan Ru flotillas. Top: The Tan Ru attempt to destroy the frigate with fast-firing close-range weapons, but to no avail. Middle and bottom: Not even the Particle Vortex Cannon of the Decimators, or the drones from the Fabricator, could save the Tan Ru this time.

Tan Ru ships generally specialize in close-combat capability, and thus usually carry laser beams, while the Demolisher also carries a Micro-Meteorite Gun, which acts as a shotgun and thus is most effective when fired near a target. Dominators and Fabricators up the ante with Mass Drivers; the former also carry longer-ranged Gauss Cannons. Finally, the Decimators are armed with a long-range Particle Vortex Cannon, making them a huge problem for their adversaries.

Nevertheless, most Tan Ru ships are helpless against long-range weapons such as the Multi-Missile Launcher described above, especially if your fighters also keep their distance. Drones, meanwhile, are only a concern when massed; being hit by 16 laser beams at once is quite painful, but as long as you have fast-firing weapons which can lock on to fighters automatically, you will make mincemeat of the Tan Ru drones. However, if these drones come from a Fabricator, it makes sense to destroy that ship first so that lost drones will never be replaced.

In short, the Muktians can be a challenging adversary at times, but given their reputation, it is best to negotiate with them as soon as possible unless you have no choice but to attack them. On the other hand, the Tan Ru, being unambiguously hostile to Terrans, are an alien race you must avoid at all cost unless you have enough long-range weapons to exploit their emphasis on close-range combat. Another incentive is that in the campaign, exploring the Tan Ru homeworld will allow you to capture any and all equipment they have stored there. This is my penultimate post on the original factions of the Infinite Space trilogy; in my next post, we will talk about some tiny space-faring marsupials and a bunch of huge interstellar bugs.