First Turns: The Robotic Imperium

Most games are won or lost in the first few turns. This series concentrates only on those critical few turns leading up to the Ship Limit as a key to achieving long-term goals necessary for victory.

Overview:

The Robots have a powerful and unique, yet limited, ship list. They are remarkable not only for having not one but two effective heavy carriers, the Golem and the Automa, but also for their ability to control vast swathes of the battleground using their mass minelaying advantage by way of their lone minelayer, the Cat’s Paw. The inexpensive and relatively low-tech medium carrier, the Instrumentality, is the cherry on top.

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Threat Assessment: The Robotic Imperium

This is the sixth anonymous report analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of one of the Eleven Races. These redacted versions were approved by the Senate for immediate publication, to be read by commanders of each respective race in order that they can review their own vulnerabilities in the face of the unknown external threat that commissioned the studies. In this dispatch we focus on that faction known as the Robotic Imperium: its strengths, its weaknesses, and how best to defeat it in battle.

Overview

Ease Of Command: Veteran
Difficulty To Defeat: Average
Style: Defensive

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The Inside Scoop: April Fools

Our last Scoop article shared all the details about Leagues and Championships. Now the Cognitum War is underway, we can turn our attention back to the future. We at Planets Magazine are pleased to bring you an announcement: Nu’s got new features and ships coming your way. Moreover, Planet.nu’s usually inscrutable leader, Joshua, is here to tell us all about it.

NOTE: We’re told the art is preliminary, and it may not come in by release time, so TS has given us a filler picture or two.  Contrary to appearances, no alcohol was used writing this article. -G


(As is always the case with Inside Scoop, the following has been condensed from a lengthy email chain. Just imagine we’re all in a comfy studio with nice cups of tea and an Easter wedge of Mom-Mom Bessie’s Coconut Molasses Pie. – Editor)

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Get Off My Lawn!

OPINION

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(The following is a rebuttal to “Seeing Purple and Red“, by Talespin. The opinion is that of the author, and does not necessarily reflect that of the Planets Magazine as a whole.)

Hands Off My Minefields, Dammit!

My esteemed colleague has raised several points in his article, and it’s true that there are factors that need addressing. The prevalence of short-form Planets games alongside the rise of the new PPQ system (which I’ve referred to as the New Nu Queue, to spare confusion) certainly creates new questions of balance and game flow. Steady advances under solid logistics and impeccable defenses are no longer tenable in non-Classic, non-Standard scenarios.

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Precise Scooping

With the newest updates the minefield decay is also displayed in the minefield preview when sweeping and scooping mines. What is very helpful to control enemy minefields can cause problems when trying to decrease your own minefield sizes by scooping parts of them – for example to pull a minefield or web out of an opponent’s sweeping range. Remember that the scooping ship must have a lower ID number than the Continue reading

The Travelling Minefield

(written by DungeonMaster)

Many players often end up with large stockpiles of cash and minerals well away from the frontlines. If the fronts are stable, or in your favour, then it’s imperative that those resources go to developing bases to produce more ships. As is often the case however, there is pressing need for mines at the fronts. The travelling minefield is an essential strategy to supply those resources across long distances.

What you need is: two high tech torpedo laying ships which can lay and scoop a 150 ly Continue reading