Antimater Missiles

from Stardock Forums
Generally speaking..err questioning..how do these work?
I used them in one game and they didn't do much and haven't used them since.

Can you target a planet without ships? If the planet
has ships..which ships take damage first ..etc..and
the anti matter missile is lost no matter what ..right?

Can anything stop the damage from an antimatter missile?

For example..what would happen on

a. An Antimatter missile attack on a planet without ships?

b. An Antimatter missile attack on a corvette?

c. An Antimatter missile attack on a dreadnaught?

-Doug
707 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Well they are missiles, so it's kind of "fire and forget".
They explode on impact, so are a one time weapon.
There is no point in targetting a planet with no ships in orbit. You can't sue AMM to soften the planet defenses. They only work against ships. But they do work very well :D if used properly :notsure: .

When ships are stacked I don't know which one is attacked first (I think it's the one with the highest defense).

By stoping the damage from an AMM, I assume you mean one being fired at you, right? If yes, then the only way to stop it is to attack it first. Even when stacked with other ships, AMM are the first one targeted, and are always destroyed (no defense, no hitpoints). So when you attack with them make sure they are well protected (surrounded by your ships, if in hostile territory).

Now, for your questions:
a) I've already answered: no effect. But if the planet has ships in orbit, the get a big binus for defending from orbit. This can make them very hard to destroy. That's when, I think, AMM can be very useful since they will destroy or heavely damage most of the ships.

b)Bye bye corvette. But it's a little overkilling (a little like dropping millions of tons of bombs in Iraq just to kill one man -- the difference here is that there is no chance you miss ;p ). And whenever you use them, make sure you are not mistake about the distance: if your AMM stops just one move away from the target, it will be able to destroy it without taking any damage (even a starfighter) :( .

c)It depends on the dreadnought: sometimes it will be destried, soetimes heavely damaged.

But there is something you must keep in mind about AMM: because of their high attack, they make the AI think you are very powerfull (military). When you start using them, even if you destry the AI's ships, it will conceder that you are getting weaker, and then make it hard for you to settle for peace.
So, when you use those missiles, make sure it's to wipe their fleet in orbit prior to invading the planet. Usually after that the AI is willing to settle for peace on your terms :CONGRAT: .

The AMM can be very usefull at taking out big starbases (but it might take a couple of them).

Hope I was clear enough (I'm at work, and keeping an eye checking for people coming and going ;) )
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
a. Nothing - Only transports can attack planets without ships.
b. Both are destroyed.
c. The missile deals damage once
(i.e. random number between 1 and AMM attack - 100 + your attack bonus) minus (dreadnought defense).
Then the missile is destroyed.

When stacked, I think the ship with the highest offense is targetted first.
The AMM is always desstroyed after combat.

Thus the best uses of AMM are:
1- As a deterrant. The ai fears AMM for their big attack value.
2- As an attack against big ships. Since it has very little upkeep, it can be quite efficient to keep some as a counter strike or invasion force, but since they'll be targetted first when the ai attacks them, and just get destroyed when you blast them, you definitely need some ships in front of them to protect them if you want to attack with these.

Generally speaking, I think they are mostly useful as deterrant. A bit like nukes in real life.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I usually make my wars with them :
- 1 AMM costs less than a Dread and kills it ..
- A couple AMM costs much less than a developed Starbase and kills it ...
- Another couple is often the right way to destroy some very high-defense ships in orbit to be able to invade a planet

I really find'em overpowered until Overlords show up in fact ...
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Overlords cost 1,800 to build now, so AMMs are still more cost effective and cheaper to maintain. The majority of my fleet in any game is now composed of AMMs in fact. I might keep a handful of Rangers, Overlords, and Excaliburs, but otherwise I ignore all other ships in favor of AMMs. The tech spacing between Battleship and Overlords is just too close, so it doesn't make sense to invest in units that will become obsolete in less than two game years. AMMs remain useful all the way till the end of the tech tree, even up against Excaliburs. The best way to defeat a swarm of AI ships isn't with AMMs of course. You should bring a stack of 10 constructors with you and plop down a max defense starbase in front of the AI fleet and watch them drop like flies. Even better, gift that starbase to another AI and you can have them do the dirty work for you while you maintain good relations and trade routes with everyone ;)
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Ummm, sorry for my ignorance, but how do you make antimatter missiles? I'm playing a LOT and i can't understand what i'm missing (especially since noone else is asking this question). Haven't seen an AI use it either.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
AMMs are available as you get dreadnoughts (I think). The ai does use them (the b*** destroyed one of my maxed out military starbase with one of them).
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
Check your GalCiv directory for a "../Data/AntiMatterMissile.SHIP" file. The Anti-Matter Missiles came with the initial bonus pack, so try reinstalling it if you can't find the missiles.