The Prince of Infinite Space: The Most Powerful Large Capital Ship in Sector Prime

The Prince of Infinite Space: The Most Powerful Large Capital Ship in Sector Prime

Earlier I described how the humble Terran corvette - available from the beginning in Sea of Stars and its predecessors - has the potential to be the most overpowered ship in the game, period. But what if, as is often the case, the Timeless Bauble (which is the only way to acquire a Nova Cannon in normal gameplay) is absent from the map, or if it is present you used it to create something else, such as a Limited Vacuum Collapser? The obvious solution is to go big - or go home. And by big, I mean really big. Specifically, I'm referring to the largest ship in the Terran fleet - the Terran destroyer.

First, the bad news: it costs at least 1100 credits to buy at the Terran home system, Glory, and that number increases if you trade in a Terran corvette or scout for it. Moreover, the Terran destroyer only becomes available for purchase after 4595 AD in-game, and its advanced variant (which carries a backwards-facing turret) doesn't go on sale for another two and a half years after that. Finally, like all ships of their size, Terran destroyers are quite sluggish, even if they are fitted with Reactionless Thrusters, the most advanced thruster type in the whole game.

On the other hand, there's still plenty to like about the Terran destroyer. It is among the most heavily armored ships in the game, and is easier to acquire than its rivals, some of which are only obtainable in normal gameplay if a specific quest is present. In addition, like its smaller cousin, the Terran frigate, it has six equipment slots, and its weapons coverage is as well-balanced as that of any other Terran ship. And if you hire the Moon Marauder's captain as a mercenary, you can even have two of them in your fleet at once if you then choose to trade in his Terran scout for it.

So what weapon configuration works best with this behemoth? The answer is simple: three Multi-Missile Launchers for long-range combat and a Proton Blaster for dealing with small stuff - usually fighters and ship-launched missiles. Multi-Missiles, unlike the Nova Cannon, do not automatically target fighters, partially saving you from the inconvenience of manually selecting a target, although they are less effective at short ranges due to the fact that the missile fragments need a short amount of time to arm after separation. Of course, if a Multi-Missile hits a target directly before the fragments have separated, it will cause more damage - but it's still a less effective weapon for ambushing a target in its blind spot at point-blank range than a Nova Cannon. Even so, the Multi-Missile outranges the Nova Cannon and has homing capabilities, making it more accurate from a distance.

Given that Terran destroyers come with six equipment slots as standard, it should come as no surprise that it has plenty of scope for upgrading. The first thing you want to install is an advanced targeting computer such as the Eidetic Matrix Bubble. To complement the destroyer's heavy armor, strong shielding (at least a Proton Matrix Shield) is also recommended. Moreover, a repair system (usually a Hyperfoam Injector, although a Multibot Repair Drone can be substituted if you manage to find one) will make its already stout hull even harder to destroy. Cloaking devices and electronic countermeasures systems are not really required due to the destroyer's sheer bulk, although they are nice to have. Even with all of the above items installed, the Destroyer will still have room for one navigational aid (a Hyperwave Filter Array, Continuum Renderer Array, Nebular Extent Calculator or Anti-Graviton Shunt), all of which make route planning easier, especially on maps set to have a strong alien presence.

A fully upgraded Terran destroyer fitted with three Multi-Missile launchers, a Proton Blaster and the most advanced equipment known to denizens of Sector Prime is one of the most fearsome capital ships imaginable - few ships are more effective in combat.

In short, while a Terran Destroyer will never match the agility and sub-light speed of smaller ships, it makes up for it with more space for cargo, armor, weapons and equipment - it is well worth the price and the long wait before it becomes available for purchase.