Infinite Space Insights: Graviton Beams and Their Tabletop Counterparts

Infinite Space Insights: Graviton Beams and Their Tabletop Counterparts

The Graviton Disintegrator in the Infinite Space trilogy is a unique weapon - not for its characteristics, but for being the only beam-based (and thus non-projectile-based) weapon of any kind ever fielded by the Yellow Kawangi, with each of their Dreadnoughts carrying four such weapons (two up front and two more at the rear). Due to its immense firepower, it (along with the Nova Cannon, which the Yellow Kawangi also fit to their Dreadnoughts, albeit only one per ship) can only be acquired during normal gameplay by creating it from a Timeless Bauble, and even under such circumstances, you'll never be able to have more than one. However, in custom scenarios, it's possible to arm most capital ships with multiple Graviton Disintegrators for a massive increase in damage per second. So how does this weapon work? Let's find out.

As a medium weapon, it can be installed on any capital ship that has at least one universal, medium or large turret. Most factions whose capital ships do not have weapons as fixed equipment are fitted with these turrets as standard, with the Calatians being the sole exception. Their Dreadnought and Super Dreadnought are the only capital ships from that faction with these features, whereas Calatian Cruisers and Destroyers lack such turrets and are thus incompatible with the Disintegrator. However, the Calatians' near-exclusive focus on short- to medium-range combat makes their larger capital ships a good fit for a Disintegrator-based loadout; a Dreadnought or Super Dreadnought armed with one (or, in the latter case, two) of these Yellow Beams of Death (as the player base calls them) can be extremely dangerous to any target that ventures too close to it.

In terms of operating principle, the Graviton Disintegrator emits graviton particles to pull its victims apart through inducing an immense gravitational pull at the point of impact, causing the target to collapse under its own mass. This echoes how its Warhammer 40000 equivalent, the Graviton Destructor and Ruinator, works against small targets (although larger targets are generally immune), with Titan-scale Horus Heresy-era equivalents being potent enough to obliterate other Titans. Similarly, the Graviton Disintegrator is explicitly stated to not having any known defenses against it. This explains why it is inadvisable to attack a Yellow Kawangi Dreadnought at close or even medium range - the Disintegrators will simply tear up any ship that's close enough, so a long-range assault with multiple missile-based weapons (or even a single Nova Cannon or Cobalt Torpedo Tube) is the only viable option for countering such a massive ship without having to use a Limited Vacuum Collapser to overwrite it.

Above, from top: The Graviton Disintegrator in the Infinite Space trilogy may not have the range or availability of the Tachyon Ray Gun, but it is vastly superior in terms of damage per second.

The closest BattleTech equivalent to the Graviton Disintegrator (in terms of firepower) would be the Binary Laser Cannon. Essentially a pair of regular Large Lasers fused together (but weighing 9 tons instead of 10 for dual individual Large Lasers), it generated too much heat relative to the amount of damage delivered compared to a pair of Large Lasers. However, it became viable again after Double Heat Sinks reentered production following the distribution of the contents of the Helm Memory Core, and in MechWarrior Online it serves as a shorter-ranged, but lighter, alternative to paired Large Lasers.

Within the context of MWO, two Binary Laser Cannons (which are distinguished by their white beams) should be sufficient for most Heavy and Assault 'Mechs; some chassis can safely handle three, but four is generally overkill in terms of mass and cooling requirements. However, in the right hands, Binary Lasers can be even more effective than any other Large Laser within their range profile. A common strategy is to combine a pair of Binary Lasers with several Inner Sphere Extended Range Medium Lasers, thus providing a viable backup option and good range synergy.

Above: This Stalker STK-7D is a good example of a Binary Laser-based build in MWO, where the ER Medium Lasers serve as backup for its main armament - a pair of Binary Laser Cannons that complement the Medium Lasers perfectly in terms of range profile.

In short, Graviton Disintegrators may be among the rarest weapons in the Infinite Space trilogy, but they can be among the most potent in the player's inventory if they can acquire one, by performing a similar function to graviton-based weapons and Binary Lasers in Warhammer 40000 and BattleTech, respectively, as among the deadliest beam weapons (if not the deadliest) in their respective fictional universes.

Infinite Space Insights: Lone Wolf Frigate

Infinite Space Insights: Lone Wolf Frigate

Happy New Year to my fellow Infinite Space Explorers! My first Infinite Space trilogy-related post of 2026 will be about my first Sea of Stars playthrough attempt of the New Year. Here's how it went.

Above, from top: My first Sea of Stars playthrough of 2026 - a practice run for my next maximum difficulty attempt (as evidenced with the NPC strength and nebular area having been set to their minimum values - the highest settings for both are necessary for high score runs) - began like any other: after wiping out a Tan Ru fleet around that faction's home system and salvaging some of the high-end equipment stored there, I went on to deliver a Crystal Fish to the Tchorak, thus forging an alliance with them, before zapping two Garthan fleets with the advanced weaponry and technology I'd acquired.

In the early stages of this playthrough, I was lucky enough to trade for, purchase, or salvage enough high-end weaponry and starship technology to improve the overall combat effectiveness of my ship. However, a pivotal moment came when I decided to overwrite an entire cluster's worth of star systems using a Limited Vacuum Collapser I had acquired. On this particular playthrough, there were only four recruitable allies (one each of a Zorg and Muktian fighter, as well as one each of a Garthan and Terran capital ship - I'd convinced the former two to tag along, but chose to annihilate the respective systems in which the latter two were found after realizing I didn't need any help from either of those units), and two of them were in systems that were within the blast radius (as was the Garthan home system, which I'd successfully visited before I activated the LVC).

Above, from top: Shortly after finding the Brood Towers (which lured three Ravian fleets to Glory, the Terran home system - I would later annihilate every single one of them to complete the quest), I decided to overwrite six star systems on the far end of the map using a Limited Vacuum Collapser - and escaped to the Urluquai home system, where I tore apart the hostile fleet stationed there (and bought some highly coveted equipment after the battle for good measure). Two of the recruitable allies (out of four instead of the usual five) were found in the blast radius, and were rendered permanently unattainable due to the LVC detonating before I hired them (although I deliberately chose not to add them to my fleet due to the fact that, given the chosen game settings, I could take on the might of the Ravians with just my starting capital ship and nothing else).

Without the possibility of deploying additional capital ships in combat, the Terran capital ship I had started out with had effectively become a lone wolf, since its destruction would result in an immediate defeat - fighters are not counted as capital ships for gameplay purposes. However, I'd traded in that ship for a larger Terran frigate, which had an additional large turret and offered an extra equipment slot to boot. Even though it was slower and less maneuverable than the Terran corvette I was previously using, and also had less cargo space (8 items instead of 12), I decided that the extra firepower and defense was worth it when facing the Ravian fleets.

Above, from top: I swapped my trusty Terran corvette for a larger, more heavily armed and armored (though slower and less maneuverable) Terran frigate, fitted it with dual Multi-Missile Launchers (which I purchased from the Muktians home system, where I established an alliance with them by visiting it with a Muktian fighter in tow), and used it to eliminate all remaining Ravian forces. I later visited the Zorg home system with a Zorg fighter as part of my fleet to form yet another alliance, and used that system as a trading post, before mopping up other hostile forces using my frigate to complete the playthrough.

By the end of the game, I only had one capital ship (a Terran frigate armed with two Multi-Missile Launchers and a Tachyon Ray Gun, as well as a Sardion Optimizer, Plasma Coil Cloaker and Meson Lattice Shield for improved accuracy, stealth, and protection) and two fighters (a Zorg fighter and a Muktian fighter, both of which were armed with a Proton Blaster and carried one each of a Mnemonic Sequencer and Electron Matrix Shield - the most advanced equipment other than weapons and thrusters that can be fitted to regular fighters), but even with so few vessels in total, the sheer amount of firepower, technology, and defensive equipment was enough for me to take on any hostile fleet without any fear of defeat, especially since there was no chance of encountering a Yellow Kawangi dreadnought on this playthrough.

Above, from top: This game ended with only three ships in my fleet - a Terran frigate, a Muktian fighter, and a Zorg fighter - but I didn't deploy the latter two in combat at all (not that I needed to do so, given that my Terran capital ship had been sufficiently upgraded to win any battle with the right strategy and tactics), so the Terran frigate was effectively a lone wolf. However, the lack of capital ship support (or rather, the possibility of it) severely reduced my final score to a sub-20k value. Even on the highest possible difficulty, I would've struggled to attain the coveted promotion to Glory system president with this force composition unless I was really good (and/or lucky).

In short, my first Sea of Stars playthrough of 2026 was... weird, to say the least, given that I deliberately missed out on both chances to add any capital ships to my fleet (although the LVC detonation also wiped the Garthans' home system off the map), but by the end of the game, it didn't matter very much due to my sole capital ship being heavily upgraded to face whatever new threats it encountered. However, this was a very rare set of circumstances, so here's hoping that the other playthroughs in 2026 will generally be more normal, with all six fleet slots (two fighters and four capital ships) being filled most of the time, and staying that way by the end of the game.

Infinite Space Insights: One Pair is Enough?

Infinite Space Insights: One Pair is Enough?

A recent playthrough of Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars ended in one of the weirdest ways possible, when a supernova shock wave engulfed the capital ship Kestrel (which would cause Pirate fleets to spawn at three different systems had I boarded it) before I could add it to my flotilla. However, I decided the risk associated with capturing the Kestrel would not be worth it this time around: if the Kestrel spawns at the start of a regular game, and it is destroyed before the player attempts to board it (by deploying any of their ships onto the battlefield), the Swamp Pirate Rebellion quest will not begin. 

Above: I didn't get the capital ship Kestrel (which would've triggered the Swamp Pirate Rebellion quest) in this playthrough - I deliberately ignored it (and in fact, didn't even attempt to board it) in favor of letting the supernova shock wave engulf it - but I was fine with that, considering that it made this particular playthrough attempt easier.

This saved me some time, hassle, and credits (the latter of which I would've otherwise spent on upgrading and rearming the Kestrel), but there was another capital ship in this playthrough that I could've added to my fleet, but didn't. That vessel, a Garthan Scout, was just as useful in combat as the Kestrel, but once again, I decided to save more credits by destroying it instead of adding it to my flotilla, and in fact I did so (with a well-placed Limited Vacuum Collapser detonation) before the Kestrel was wiped off the map in a supernova explosion.

Above, from top: A well-placed Limited Vacuum Collapser detonation overwrote the system in which I found a Garthan capital ship - but since I deliberately chose not to add it to my fleet before then, I missed out on the chance to do so. I didn't miss it all that much, however, considering that my existing capital ships could more than hold their own in combat.

That left me with just two capital ships in my flotilla: my starting ship (a Terran corvette) and a Zorg capital ship (which I'd upgraded, and later traded in for a Zorg corvette for more firepower). And that was it: aside from a pair of escorts (a Garthan fighter piloted by a mercenary, and a Muktian fighter flown by a noble pilot), I did not have any other ships in my flotilla by the end of the game. Even though I was attempting the playthrough on the lowest difficulty setting (minimal NPC fleet strength and nebular mass), I knew that having only two capital ships available for combat may not be enough unless I had acquired enough upgrades - fortunately, I had acquired a Multi-Missile Launcher to install on one of those vessels, and had I allowed the in-game clock to progress further, I could've purchased at least one more from the Muktian and Terran home systems, but I'd explored the entirety of the map before then, so I chose to end the game right away.

It could've been worse, though. As described in an earlier post, I managed to complete the game with just one capital ship in an earlier playthrough, though this is even rarer still. Then again, in most of my playthroughs, I'm content to fill all four capital ship slots in my fleet, which goes some way to maximizing your score with the chosen difficulty settings - and isn't that what you should be doing? Even so, completing a regular game after adding fewer than three capital ships to your fleet is quite an achievement, because it forces you to manage your fleet more carefully with fewer capital ships in it, especially on higher difficulties.

Infinite Space Insights: Building the Ultimate Custom Capital Fleet

Infinite Space Insights: Building the Ultimate Custom Capital Ship Fleet

After thousands of playthroughs in Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars, there was one question above all others that puzzled me: What is the best fleet of four capital ships you can have in the game? It did not take me very long to realize that such a fleet would need a balance of speed, agility, firepower, and defenses. Eventually, I settled on having one each of a Terran corvette, a Zorg corvette, a Garthan frigate, and a Calatian destroyer as my capital ships - I never deploy fighters in combat during regular gameplay, but the two fighter slots in the fleet are free, so I could choose from any faction regarding those, although the Zorg and Garthan fighters are generally considered the most useful in custom battles.

Above, from top: This custom fleet contains one each of a Terran corvette, a Zorg corvette, a Garthan frigate, and a Calatian destroyer - all of which have been upgraded with the best weaponry and technology the game has to offer.

All four capital ships in this fleet are fitted with Temporal Flux Shields (for maximum defense), Reactionless Thrusters (to maximize agility and speed during combat), Plasma Coil Cloakers (for increased stealth), Sardion Maximizers (which provide the greatest increase in accuracy and fire rate), and Multibot Repair Drones (which are the most effective means of repairing hull and component damage). In addition, with the exception of the Calatian destroyer, each capital ship also carries a Signature Projector (the most advanced ECM system for deflecting incoming missiles) and a Tachyon Ray Gun (the best weapon to use against fighters). The first capital ship in this fleet will be a Terran corvette with a Nova Cannon for its primary weapon. This makes it a highly effective sniper at long range, especially against larger, slower-moving targets. A Zorg corvette armed with a Particle Vortex Cannon (the only primary weapon that is effective at long range at all ranges) will occupy the second capital ship spot, while a Garthan Frigate loaded with two Cobalt Torpedo Tubes (the best homing weapon by far, with its high muzzle velocity) takes up the third such slot. Finally, the last capital ship will be a Calatian destroyer carrying four Proton Blasters for shooting down fighters and missiles at short to medium range.

Usually the best way to use most of these vessels in these configurations is in a sniping role facing the target(s) head-on, with the Calatian destroyer positioned near any of the other three capital ships to act as an "iron dome" against fighters and missiles. However, it's also possible to trap the opposing fleet in a pincer movement with the force composition I've suggested, by having the Terran corvette and Garthan frigate lurk behind the target(s) with their cloaking devices (only decloaking to attack, before reactivating their Cloakers if they are targeted), while the Zorg corvette and Calatian destroyer lure them forward into a trap. Although this tactic can also be attempted with other capital ship types and loadouts, I've found this particular one to be the most effective of all for this approach. This strategy also works with just the Garthan frigate and Terran corvette positioned ahead of and behind the target, respectively.

Above, from top: My custom fleet taking on some Urluquai vessels in a custom battle. After taking out the Urluquai flagship (an Urluquai carrier), I ordered my capital ships to turn around and open fire on the Urluquai Deep Hunters that had just decloaked and opened fire on my fleet.

Against Yellow Kawangi Dreadnoughts, however, the Zorg corvette and Calatian destroyer lack the long-range punch (in terms of raw alpha strike damage at such extreme ranges, as opposed to damage per second at closer ranges) to take down these behemoths with sustained fire, even with cloaking devices installed, so the respective loadouts for the Terran corvette and Garthan frigate are the only viable options in this specific scenario, where the Dreadnought's Temporal Flux Shield and Multibot Repair Drone give it nigh-impregnable defenses, bolstered further by four Graviton Disintegrators (two on each side) and a rear-facing Proton Blaster. Those weapons, however, cannot outrange a Nova Cannon (which the Kawangi dreadnought has by default), to say nothing of the even longer-ranged Cobalt Torpedo Tube (the latter of which is standard equipment only on the Damocles, although you can't encounter that particular vessel and a Yellow Kawangi Dreadnought in the same playthrough, or even have them face each other in any custom scenario).

Above, from top: The customized Garthan frigate and upgraded Terran corvette (positioned in front of and behind the target, respectively) team up to destroy a Yellow Kawangi dreadnought by trapping it in a pincer movement.

Even so, the force composition I proposed in this post may turn out to be the most effective one there is in a custom battle. It is possible to create a similar set of loadouts with the same capital ship classes in a regular game, but there are a few necessary differences: replacing the Cobalt Torpedo Tubes with Multi-Missile Launchers (which do not require the presence of the capital ship Damocles on the map to obtain), downgrading the Sardion Maximizers to Sardion Optimizers at best on most or all of the capital ships, and even then, the Zorg, Calatian, and Garthan home systems must all be present on the map to get anywhere close to the loadout I have suggested.

In short, this fleet composition and loadout combination I have suggested may just be the most overpowered one (assuming no duplicates of any capital ship class are being used), although there are a few that come close. The most promising alternative combines a pair of Terran destroyers with the Kestrel and a Muktian destroyer, with the Terran destroyers carrying 3 Multi-Missile Launchers each while the other two capital ships have two such Launchers each - but even with Proton Blasters filling all the remaining hardpoints on those capital ships, this fleet still uses two of the same unit (in this case, a Terran destroyer) from the same faction. So if you absolutely must avoid using the same unit more than once in a custom fleet, this setup is off the table, but the one that's the primary subject of this post most definitely isn't.