Autocannon Minipod
From ArcenWiki
| This page is up to date for game version 6.013 |
 | Extremely fast cloaked ship with short-range rapid fire attack. Excellent against heavy targets, but weak to opposing fleet ships. |
Base Stats
| Ship Cap | Ammo Type | Armor Type | Immunities | Damage Bonuses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 per Mark | Shell | Swarmer | 3.2 Swarmer, 3.2 Turret, 3.2 Ultra-Heavy, 3.2 Structural |
| Mark | Damage | Attack Range | Reload | Health | Armor | Speed | Engine Health | Single Ship DPS | Ship Cap DPS | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 560 | 3,500 | 1 sec | 54,600 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 560 dmg/sec | 109,760 dmg/sec | Cloaking, Armor Damage 3 |
| II | 1,120 | 3,500 | 1 sec | 109,000 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 1,120 dmg/sec | 219,520 dmg/sec | Cloaking, Armor Damage 6 |
| III | 1,680 | 3,500 | 1 sec | 163,000 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 1,680 dmg/sec | 329,280 dmg/sec | Cloaking, Armor Damage 9 |
| IV | 2,240 | 3,500 | 1 sec | 218,000 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 2,240 dmg/sec | 439,040 dmg/sec | Cloaking, Armor Damage 12 |
| V | 2,800 | 3,500 | 1 sec | 272,000 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 2,800 dmg/sec | 548,800 dmg/sec | Cloaking, Armor Damage 15 |
| Mark | Knowledge | Metal Cost | Crystal Cost | Total Cost | Energy Cost | Build Time | Cap Metal Cost | Cap Crystal Cost | Cap Total Cost | Cap Energy Cost | Ship Cap Build Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | -- | 140 | 20 | 160 | 24 | 00:00:02 | 27,440 | 3,920 | 31,360 | 4,704 | 00:06:32 |
| II | 2,500 | 280 | 40 | 320 | 50 | 00:00:03 | 54,880 | 7,840 | 62,720 | 9,800 | 00:09:48 |
| III | 6,000 | 560 | 80 | 640 | 50 | 00:00:05 | 109,760 | 15,680 | 125,440 | 9,800 | 00:16:20 |
| IV | Adv Fac | 840 | 120 | 960 | 50 | 00:00:07 | 164,640 | 23,520 | 188,160 | 9,800 | 00:22:52 |
| V | Core Fab | 1,100 | 160 | 1,260 | 50 | 00:00:10 | 215,600 | 31,360 | 246,960 | 9,800 | 00:32:40 |
How to use in your fleet
These appear to be cloaked Fighters, but on closer inspection come with different bonuses and an interesting Armor damage attribute. Like Infiltrators, Autocannon Minipods are better thought of as swarming Bombers that pepper away at larger targets, instead of delivering their damage in one payload. When comparing to Bombers, however, realize the Minipods have traded their Heavy and Artillery bonuses for Turret and Swarmer bonuses. Turret is a hull type that the AI hasn't used for years, which is one reason Minipods are more dangerous in the hands of the AI than in yours.
The shot damage is so low that they will do minimum damage against the more armored ships such as Bombers, at least until the Armor damage scratches away the protection, which doesn't take long during concentrated fire but is nearly useless when spread out. A cap of MK Is at 196 ship cap will do 600 armor damage/second to a single target. As a point of reference, a Core Starship has 2500 armor and can be very dangerous to your fleet. It will have no armor in 5 seconds against a cap of MK I Minipods. This means Minipods are much more effective being micro'd against large deadly targets simply scattered among your fleet.
As a cloaked assault unit with very high speed, these ships will chase down enemies for you and make easier work of neutering - although don't expect them to act well alone, as they are fragile and will require heavy micro for highly effective use. Remember to low-power them during transit so they don't drop their cloaks. Their sheer numbers are better for screening and softening up targets before the rest of your fleet engages when not microing them.
How to counter when in the AI fleet
For as long as you keep your turrets out of range, these ships are merely another nuisance to destroy. The AI doesn't take enough advantage of combined arms for these to be a thread. While Tachyon Beam Emitter (Stealth)s are recommended, unlocking Decloakers is optional.
