To capture larger ships (TL/M6/M7/M2/M1) requires them to be boarded. Boarding allows the player to obtain free ships worth several million credits, obtain ships and stations of enemy Races and obtain ships that are not available for purchase.
Boarding is performed either by a Spacewalk or by using Boarding Pods. Both methods have their own advantages and pitfalls.
Preparation
Supplies For Boarding
- The player will need to buy and train Marine/Mercenary personnel to perform the boarding operation. How high the skills of the personnel need to be is dependent on the class and type of ship being boarded as well as the presence of anti-boarding equipment and the numbers and skill of enemy personnel. The player will need a minimal of 6 Marines/Mercenaries with at least 2 stars in the Engineering and Fighting skills while at least two marines need 3 stars in the Mechanical and Hacking skills. In general try to board with as many marines as the target ship can be boarded with as that reduces losses.
- Missiles are needed to reduce the majority of the shields of the target ship and swat any non-target enemy ships. The number of missiles needed depend on the type of ship targeted and how many enemy ships are in the same sector as the target.
- Fighter Drones (MK1/MK2/Keris) are used to supress enemy shield regeneration (number depends on the type of ship being boarded), draw fire from the target (if not softened by ion weaponry) and distract other enemy ships once the target is captured. 30 is usually enough.
- A fast M5 or TM with spare Jumpdrives and Energy Cells. Freshly captured ships lack most of their equipment and may already be at a low percentage of their hull so are in no state to fight enemy fleets meaning an evacuation plan is needed. This means jumping in a fast and probably sacrificial M5 to transfer a Jumpdrive onto the captured ship while the player ship provides the Energy Cells, allowing the captured target ship to jump to the nearest safe sector, leaving the M5 alone to try and find a safe route home. Alternatively getting a TM ship to follow the boarding ship allows for a Jumpdrive to be transferred to the captured ship and then shuffling a second Jumpdrive from a docked fighter back onto the TM allowing all ships to escape.
Softening the target (Optional)
The Ion Disrupter and Ion Cannon weapons of the Boron not only do high shield damage but also have high chances to destroy weapons and equipment allowing the player to strip a target ship down to a defenceless hull. This is recommended if trying to board Rapid Response ships as destroying the Jumpdrive prevents the ships from fleeing when their shields run low and destruction of the Cargo Lifesupport removes any enemy personnel. Skilled players can even perform the softening of targets using the boarding ship (Boron Angel and Pleco)
Spacewalk Boarding
The advantage of Spacewalk boarding is the low cost of equipment needed to board and how quickly it is possible to perform from starting a new game however, the chances of losing personnel is a lot higher.Wildfire Silkworm Wasp and Dragonfly also work Geochen Ocelot Angel Zephyrus