Hey guys. I just started ES after taking some time off and there are some new mechanics that got introduced with Disharmony that I'm not too familiar with. I'm hoping I can get a helpful explanation.



1. I tried to invade a planet and found that I needed some kind of ground attack option on my ships. So I research what looks like orbital bombardment (can't remember exact name, the icon looks like a big bullet) and I pack some onto my ships. I find that the system I'm sieging is very well protected and its system defense is well above my system siege rating. So I bring in more ships so I can get a better siege rating and I see that my siege number is now above the system defense number. But, I find out it will take me 76 turns to take the system. I'm thinking it's because my siege number must be way, way higher than the system defense. So I decide to rush to ground invasion troops, which brings me to



2. I load troops onto my ships and I didn't know this but I'm thinking that invasion forces actually take a unit of population off your planet when the ship with the troop module is built? Is that right? I decided to make my troops "elite" when I built the module. I do end up taking the entire system with this ground invasion, even though the screen tells me I actually lost all my troops and the enemy still has 3 population left. No matter, I definitely gain position of the system with 1 population on each of the 3 planets, but



3. Now all my troop transports now have 0/2 troops on them. So I'm guessing they can no longer do another ground invasion unless I restock those invasion forces? I figure the only way to do this is to retrofit that ship type at a system with population? I see that it would take a lot of dust to do this, so much so that I'm thinking it would be cheaper to just scrap these ships and build new ones of this design. My troops transports have nothing but 2 troop invasion modules and the orbital bombardment module, nothing else, no weapons of any kind and no armor, or anything else.



Thanks for any clarity you guys can give me on this. BTW, what is the best way to invade a system? Should I get bombers, do orbital bombardment, then land troops? How viable is it to just get a bunch of ships with orbital bombardment modules and just wait it out, sieging the system till they effectively surrender?

1. You can still take systems the old way if your siege numbers are strong enough. However, it will take minimum eight turns to do so. I like to get at least the 180 +10% siege tech (the 10% adds up!) and pack as many as I can on a cruiser hull. You will need several of these bombers to take out a well defended system.



3. You are correct that troops need to be replenished. However, level 2 or (much better) level 3 repair modules on your troop ships will replenish your troops. My troop ships are built on a destroyer (not frigate) hulls. I put two elite troops, a level 3 repair module, and the rest in siege weapons. A stack of 10 (or more) of these in a single fleet will repair one troop per ship every turn.



Best way to invade a system is to hit it with a stack of bombers and troop ships; the bombers will make your troops more effective. I haven't used bombs, so perhaps someone else can chip in on the effective use of them.



My invasion task forces might look like this:



1. Attack fleet to clear and control space above the system.

2. Defense fleet to assist with assist with space superiority and to defend the system when the rest of the task force moves on to next system.

3. Bomber fleet: Cruisers packed with my best siege weapon and nothing else. Defenses too strong? Bring more bombers.

4. Troop fleet: Destroyers with two elite troops, level 3 (or 2) repair module, and the rest siege weapons. I never invade unless my odds are 100 percent.



Don't put weapons or defenses on bombers or troop ships. Don't mix bombers or troop ships with other ships (especially troop ships since their repair modules stack within a fleet); keep bombers together and troop ships together.



Renaming fleets will help you keep them straight (e.g., Troop 1, Bomber 3). Always be sure your bomber and troop ship fleets are protected by an attack or defense fleet.

Thanks for the advice. Some of this I figured out after playing a bit more. You've got some good pointers though. I'll have to redesign my invasion fleet because I mixed my troop transports with my orbital bombardment ships. I am still trying to figure out the ship hulls though. I can't quite tell which hull is a destroyer or a cruiser or a frigate yet.



I like the concept of using bombers to help with orbital bombardment. Is it a good idea to mix those in with my orbital bombardment fleet or is that kind of a waste of ship tonnage?