Having taken over a few rundown positions from players that have dropped out, I have been surprised by the shipdesigns being used by some players. This mini-guide will attempt to outline the correct use of torpedoes, focusing on economy, destructive power and efficiency as minefield material.
What is the cost of a torpedo?
If we start by ignoring the cost of the launcher - besides the required techlevel, the cost of the launcher is a very small part of equation - we start by noting that all torpedes costs exactly one of each mineral. To compare cost, we need to convert everything to MC, and since an alchemy ship can convert supplies to minerals at a rate of 3 to 1, we can set the cost of the minerals to 9 MC. The following table gives us the cost of each torpedo, when we factor in the mineral cost
| Torpedo |
Cost in MC |
| Mark 1 |
10 |
| Proton |
11 |
| Mark 2 |
13 |
| Gamma Bomb |
19 |
| Mark 3 |
21 |
| Mark 4 |
22 |
| Mark 5 |
40 |
| Mark 6 |
44 |
| Mark 7 |
45 |
| Mark 8 |
63 |
To decide which torpedoes are the most effective for killing and for minelaying, we need to add in the torpedoes effectiveness at those tasks, and compare them to the cost of the torpedoes.
| Torpedo |
Cost in MC |
Explosive Power |
Explosive / Cost |
Mines pr Torp |
Mines / Cost |
| Mark 1 |
10 |
5 |
0,50 |
1 |
0,10 |
| Proton |
11 |
8 |
0,73 |
4 |
0,36 |
| Mark 2 |
13 |
10 |
0,77 |
9 |
0,69 |
| Gamma Bomb |
19 |
2 |
0,11 |
16 |
0,84 |
| Mark 3 |
21 |
15 |
0,71 |
25 |
1,19 |
| Mark 4 |
22 |
30 |
1,36 |
36 |
1,64 |
| Mark 5 |
40 |
35 |
0,88 |
49 |
1,23 |
| Mark 6 |
44 |
40 |
0,91 |
64 |
1,45 |
| Mark 7 |
45 |
48 |
1,07 |
81 |
1,80 |
| Mark 8 |
63 |
55 |
0,87 |
100 |
1,59 |
If we start by looking at the most effective minelayers, these three torpedoes stands out as being extremely cost-effective
Mark 7
|
1,80 |
| Mark 4 |
1,64 |
| Mark 8 |
1,59 |
If we pull out the cost-effectiveness of the explosive powers of the same torpedoes, we get the following order
Mark 4
|
1,36 |
| Mark 7 |
1,07 |
| Mark 8 |
0,87 |
Honerable mention should be given to the Mk5 and Mk6 - while not as effective minelayers, they are in fact slightly more cost-effective than the Mk8 for killing purposes.
Conclussion
The Mk4 & Mk7 take first and second place in both categories, with a win for each. The Mk7 packs a better punch pr torpedo, so if the techlevel is available on the starbase, the Mk7 makes a better choice than the Mk4 - while the Mk4 is a great low-cost (techwise) torpedo. The Mk8 is the choice when money is abundant, being a slightly more powerful torpedo than the Mk7.
Gamma Bombs - are they worth anything?
No! The explosive power of those torpedoes are so low that they are useless against shields - so their primary purpose is to take down crew after the shields have failed - but the type of ships that you can take on with beams alone range from small scouts to freighters - and here a set of disrupters will do just fine - no reason spending good money on Gamma Bombs, when a set of Mk4's combined with the NTP friendlycode (against freighters and small scouts) will do just fine.
What about Proton Torpedos - I have seen you use them!
Protons are tech 1 - and packs 60% more killing power than the Mk1 (also tech 1) at only 10% the additional cost. When money is tight, and none is available to upgrade the torpedo tech level, equipping your scouts/utility ships with Proton Torps are a better choice than not equipping them with torpedo launchers. The ability to throw a few proton-torps at a non-starbase planet, or laying a very small panic-minefield can be useful at times.
Now please stop equipping your ships with Mk3's!
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Show Media Item - Quick Guide to Torpedoes & Minefields
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