Part 22

Method #2 (Slow): Marshal your entire fleet (150+ capital ships) about 1500 meters in front of the MS, without formations, set to aggressive. Send a destroyer supported by a support frigate into the yard to destroy the first gun to the right of the MS, then retreat. When a small ship (the Dawg) approaches, keep the destroyer near a gravity well. Activate the gravity well as it gets close and have your entire fleet attack it. The Dawg cannot be captured but will explode after taking significant punishment. After destroying the Dawg, set up 4 destroyers with 3 support frigates each. Slowly advance to destroy only the auto-guns, leaving proximity sensors intact for salvage. Use a giant box shape or X shape with at least 2000 meters separation between units to clear a corridor. A further destroyer convoy can clear missed auto-guns. Use the tactical overlay (a HUD (heads-up display — the on-screen icons showing health, ammo and the minimap) element showing unit positions and status) to assist. Steal all proximity detectors, harvest resources, and research everything. Dock with the junk yard office. After Olson exits, explore the graveyard to find rejected designs for a cruiser and a carrier (which also appear as Kadeshi ships in their associated mod (a community-made modification that changes the game)). Jump out to prepare for the next mission.

Method #3 (Guess): Use strike craft or a stolen Turanic missile corvette. Set it on evasive and use the tactical overlay to spot auto-guns. Escort it with all repair corvettes and make a straight run for the office. If an auto-gun is spotted, stop and use a missile burst (56 missiles can kill a large gun). This method is tedious and slow due to missile recharge times.

Secondary Objectives: Destroy Hyperspace Portals.

Preparation: Do not harvest anything initially. Move your carriers forward to about halfway between the edge of the sphere and the MS. Launch salvage corvettes and position them near dust clouds outside the sphere. Place your wall of heavies nearby on evasive, supported by one support frigate. Guarding these dust clouds allows you to steal up to 8 resourcers. Keep fighter wings away with your corvettes. Research the sensors array, build one, and move it to the back of the map.

Method #1 (Forced Entry): This method offers no fleet gain but can have an overwhelming effect. It requires many support frigates, solid anti-fighter defense, and some capital ships. It is fast. Get your 3 cruisers, assign every support frigate but 2 to them. Assign the remaining 2 to your destroyer battle group. Position multibeam frigates behind the cruisers and destroyers above or below them. Add proximity detectors behind them. Keep a carrier or two with heavies to ward off fighter waves. Move in, fighting your way until a cutscene (a non-interactive cinematic the game plays automatically) triggers, after which frigates will move away. You will encounter up to 6 destroyers in separate groups, each with a cloak generator. Use proximity detectors to spot them, attack the cloaker first, then the destroyers, concentrating firepower. Ion cannon frigates will attack from all sides. You will also face fighter attacks (multigun corvettes, defenders, attack bombers). Creep in, destroying opposition, and reach the hyperspace inhibitors to destroy them, being careful not to get ships rammed. There is a high possibility of being overwhelmed. Ion cannon frigates may target super capital ships at the vanguard. Jump out to complete the mission.

Method #2 (Attrition): This method allows for massive fleet gain and a slow, steady pace. Use one proximity detector at a time to bait the ion cannons out without getting close enough to see them (the sensors array is useful for tracking their movements). Retreat to the carriers and send out salvagers (up to 12 can follow at once). Keep carriers far forward to reduce transit times. Repeat this process until the ion cannon sphere at the front and sides is significantly reduced, while also stealing enemy resourcers.