Pirate strongholds
Pirate strongholds
Pirate strongholds are neutral garrisons of spacecraft and defenses in deep space, away from settled worlds. They never launch missions of their own. Spy on one to learn its garrison, then defeat it with Attack or Coordinate Attack. Losses are real on both sides, and every destroyed unit becomes wreckage in orbit that Mining Vessels can recover.
Finding a stronghold
A stronghold shows on the Universe map and on Deep Space Observatory → Radar → Strongholds only while it lies inside your live planetary radar. Outside coverage it can appear only as a dated survey contact, with no current status or mission permissions.
- Radar Deep Space Observatory level 1 or higher; more levels and radar research reach further.
- Target Its only sector is (0, 0) on its body. Plan attack or Plan spy mission opens Mission Control with it filled in.
The battle
Attacks resolve with the same combat engine as battles between commanders. A garrison has no research, so its units fight at base attack and armor.
- Spy first A Spy report lists the garrison as it stands, including units still regenerating.
- Coordinate Coordinate Attack lets several fleets, yours or your friends', fight the garrison together.
- Report Your fleet report shows both sides, every loss and the outcome.
Salvage
Wreckage from both sides gathers in one debris field in orbit of the stronghold. Every participant discovers it.
- Recovery Extract Resources with Mining Vessels and Asteroid Mining, like any debris field.
- Value Salvage is worth more as raw materials than at buyback: a winning attack always costs more than its salvage sells for.
Dormancy and regeneration
A stronghold whose garrison is wiped out goes dormant and respawns at full strength after its cooldown. A garrison that survives regenerates armor and rebuilds destroyed units over time, so follow-up attacks should come quickly.
- Dormant Launches against a dormant stronghold are refused; fleets already on their way return.
- Regeneration A destroyed unit returns only once its whole armor is rebuilt.
Pirate Outpost
2 in the Alpha Verse at a time.
- Garrison 6 × Thunderbolt, 4 × Space Spike, 4 × WindWard Warden
- Where 3,500 to 7,000 units from the nearest settlement
- Respawn 1 day after its defeat
- Regeneration 10% of full armor per hour
- Garrison wreckage 39,134 credits of raw materials at reference, 2,239 at buyback
- Cheapest win modeled 12 × Thor's Thunder, losing 0, costs 3,226 credits in losses and fuel
Pirate Fortress
1 in the Alpha Verse at a time.
- Garrison 16 × Thunderbolt, 2 × Thor's Thunder, 10 × Space Spike, 8 × WindWard Warden, 2 × Universe Umbrella Orbiter
- Where 6,000 to 12,000 units from the nearest settlement
- Respawn 3 days after its defeat
- Regeneration 4% of full armor per hour
- Garrison wreckage 129,423 credits of raw materials at reference, 7,428 at buyback
- Cheapest win modeled 52 × Thor's Thunder, losing 1, costs 40,072 credits in losses and fuel
Pirate Citadel
1 in the Alpha Verse at a time.
- Garrison 26 × Thunderbolt, 6 × Thor's Thunder, 18 × Space Spike, 10 × WindWard Warden, 5 × Universe Umbrella Orbiter
- Where 12,000 to 20,000 units from the nearest settlement
- Respawn 7 days after its defeat
- Regeneration 2% of full armor per hour
- Garrison wreckage 249,884 credits of raw materials at reference, 14,359 at buyback
- Cheapest win modeled 75 × Thor's Thunder, losing 4, costs 133,563 credits in losses and fuel