Learn about carrier tactics, ship stats like the Heavy Cruiser, and resource management in Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak Part 9.
- 1Keep strike craft (small, agile ships) docked within your carrier until help arrives if you want to keep them safe.
- 2If no help is expected, or the strike craft are your primary defense, undock them. Be aware that newly undocked strike craft are vulnerable for a few seconds as they form up, making them easy targets for enemy anti-strike craft defenses.
- 3Monitor your sensors (radar (your minimap with nearby blips and threats marked) display) to undock strike craft early if necessary.
- 4If you have 50 fighters docked and try to build another from the same carrier, the new fighter will launch immediately due to a lack of available dock sleeves. This also applies to corvettes.
- 5Carriers are vulnerable when unescorted. If your carrier is about to be destroyed, scuttle it (intentionally destroy it) to cause a massive explosion that can destroy most ships below frigate class.
- Strike craft emerge from carriers in pairs and have a brief period of reduced control, making them susceptible to enemy anti-strike craft units positioned near the carrier's exit.
- If a carrier is critically damaged, scuttling it can be a last resort to inflict significant damage on the enemy fleet.
Heavy Cruiser
Mass: 800000 tons
Armour: 90000
Firepower: 19000 ITM * 966 (921 in V1.05 tests)
Coverage: 100%
Type: Twin ions x2, 6 heavy guns
Fuel: Unlimited
Manoeuvrability: Very low
Max Velocity: 250 m/s
Special Action: None
RU Cost: 3700
Time to build: 420 seconds
RU per sec: 9
Available from: Mission 13
The Heavy Cruiser is a powerful ship, but its low manoeuvrability makes it slow to reach engagements. The Kushan version has slightly split ion cannon beams, making them less effective against single static targets but more useful against groups of fighters due to wider coverage.
Resource Collector
Mass: 40000 tons*
Armour: 10800
Firepower: None
Coverage: None
Manoeuvrability: Medium
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
Special Action: Support strike craft (refueling only)
Required Tech: None
RU Cost: 650
Time to build: 60 seconds
RU per sec: 11
Available from: Mission 1
Resource Collectors are essential for gathering resources. They are unarmed but have good armor. Their support action refuels strike craft, not repairs them, and can only refuel one at a time, leading to queues for large wings. On aggressive stance, they will harvest even under attack. A full load is 600 Rus.
Resource Controller
Mass: 79000 tons
Armour: 13600
Firepower: None
Coverage: None
Manoeuvrability: Low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
Special Action: Support Strike Craft (refueling only)
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive
RU Cost: 680
Time to build: 65 seconds
RU per sec: 11
Available from: Mission 3
The Resource Controller teleports resources to your Mothership (MS). Taidan versions are faster than Kushan versions, which require an extra second or two for resource collectors to offload materials due to a 180-degree turn. It can refuel up to 4 fighters and 2 corvettes at a time, but does not repair them; only carriers and motherships can repair docked resource collectors.
Probe
Mass: 40 tons
Armour: 800
Firepower: None
Coverage: 100%
Type: Cameras
Fuel: Unlimited range for one trip
Manoeuvrability: Medium
Max Velocity: 4000 m/s (one use)
Special Action: None
Required Tech: None
RU Cost: 30
Time to build: 6 seconds
RU per sec: 5
Available from: Mission 1
Probes are fast, single-use reconnaissance units. They cannot be moved after deployment. If scuttled just before impact, their debris can cause a shotgun-like effect. Cheating players may make probes appear to move more than once.
Gravity Well Generator
Mass: 65000 tons
Armour: 8000
Firepower: None
Coverage: 100% zone
Type: Gravity well
Manoeuvrability: Low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: Gravity well distortion (5.5km)
RU Cost: 800
Time to build: 60 seconds
RU per sec: 14
Available from: Mission 9
Time field lasts: 200-210 seconds
Recharge time: Does not recharge
The Gravity Well Generator creates a field that traps all strike craft except salvage corvettes, and can also capture ships entering or exiting hyperspace. It is limited in use and should be retired rather than destroyed to preserve its crew.
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