#ship combat

Helm or High Water

aka The Pull: Part V

TricksyWizard.com

Amiri & Friends #33 - When Life Gives You Cannons...

Artist: @sheastandefer​

...make Cannonade! Among the new features in the Skull & Shackles adventure path are ship combat and ship-related hazards. Failure at these tasks results in Structural damage to our ship, which can be negated by the party collectively discarding cards equal to the damage or your ship is wrecked (spoiler alert: bad things happen when your ship is wrecked). This damage can’t be negated or reduced the way armor and other cards can reduce other damage, which makes the rare card that DOES reduce structural damage VERY useful.

I thought, to avoid rolling too many dice (although let’s face it, you will still have to probably roll a lot of dice), I have divided ships into several classes. One class can only damage a ship of another class, or one up, although that only on high rolls, unless they use specialized weaponry. I put down example HP of ships in the brackets.

Fighters / Light Frighters (30 - 120 HP)

Frigates / Medium Frighters / Long Range Ships (300 - 700 HP)

Cruisers / Heavy Frighters (850 - 1500 HP)

Destroyers / Heavy Cargo Haulers (2000 - 3500 HP)

Dreadnaughts / Carriers / Contact Units (5000 - 7500 HP)

Dread Carriers / Flagships (15000+ HP)

A few words on the classifications: Fighters are usually smaller, one person crafts that can evade fire more easily, especially from the larger ships, but unless equipped with very advanced weaponry, won’t do much damage. Freighters are the standard for transportations, while Cargo Haulers are usually employed by corporations to transport increadibly vast amount of cargo over long distances - they can reach up to a size of dreadnaught (1000 m), but don’t have the same protection or armor, and usually travel with an escort. The Dreadnaughts bring the firepower and heavy armour to the battlefield while Carriers serve as mobile docks for wings of Fighters and Frigates. Contact Units are advanced long - range exploration ships, which while focusing on sensor and science capability, are nevertheless equipped with an impressive array of defensive weaponry (especially the point - defense system) and armour. Finally, the Dread Carriers (as the name would suggest) combine the functions of Dreadnaughts and Carriers, are even larger and more powerfully armed - think of Battlestar Galactica on steroids. Flagships are similar, but usually more well - outfitted and there is rarely more than one of them as building these takes a vast amount of resources.

Stardeus ship combat update unleashes for the deep colony sim game on Linux, Steam Deck, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the creative genius of developer Kodo Linija, who keep gameplay exciting with every update. Which you can find on Steam Early Access with 87% Very Positive reviews. Paradox Arc and Kodo Linija just launched the most adrenaline-pumping update yet, and it’s a total game-changer. The long-awaited Ship Combat update is finally here, and let me tell you — it’s not just a Stardeus upgrade. It’s an awakening. If you're new to Stardeus (available on Early Access and yes, it runs beautifully on Linux and Steam Deck), it's a deep, complex colony sim that strands you on a busted starship. You’re in charge of rebuilding, keeping your fragile human survivors alive, commanding drones, while exploring a procedurally generated universe filled with tension and wonder. It’s already a stellar ride—but now? Now you can fight.

Welcome to the Danger Zone

Stardeus Ship Combat is the most requested feature of all time — and for good reason. This update also cranks the intensity up to 11. Ships, including your own, can now go head-to-head in brutal, real-time space battles. And it’s not just you starting fights — NPCs can (and will) attack each other. Or you. Or both. Yes, third-party ship battles are also now a thing. You can stumble into chaos, join in, or watch from the sidelines. But choose wisely — since some of these ships don’t take kindly to voyeurs. Combat is inspired by the legends — Starsector and FTL — so if you’ve flown those wild skies before, the vibe will feel familiar but with Stardeus’s signature complexity. We’re talking:

5 Weapon Types: Ballistic, Laser, Missile, Plasma, and Point Defense

Shield Emitters: Goodbye, Quantum Barriers. Hello, full-ship protection.

Flux Capacitors: Not just for time travel—these babies also keep your shields from frying mid-fight.

Oh, and when you destroy a ship? It becomes a Derelict, ripe for scavenging. Think of it as loot pinata—just one that shoots back if you're not fast enough.

Space Ships for Stardeus and combat

Ships Now Have... Lives of Their Own

The universe finally feels alive on Linux and Steam Deck (verified). NPC ships aren’t just filler—they have their own stories, missions, and yes, personalities. They might ignore you. They might also hail you. Or, they might demand ransom or beg for fuel. Some might offer trade or tail you suspiciously like a hungry cat. So yes, the Stardeus ship combat update brings a great deal. Here are just a few of the key interaction types:

Hail: Start a chat, trigger drama

Give Gift: Make space friends

Ask Fuel: Be the good Samaritan (or don’t)

Extort: Pirates gonna pirate

Surrender: Not everyone’s brave—use it

Insult: Because sometimes, you just want to provoke a fight

New Tech, New Freedom

Tired of slow travel? The Stardeus ship combat update brings Warp Drives. The new standard Warp Drive lets you jump anywhere within your current region. Unlock the Alien Warp Drive later, and you can basically teleport anywhere in the galaxy, skipping the hyperlane restrictions like a rebel with a cause. Even better? You can drop Return Beacons in favorite spots—resource-rich sectors, scenic battlefields, cozy death zones — then jump back instantly. It’s fast travel with style.

UI Upgrades & Story Surprises

Update v0.13 also includes slick UI improvements—like locking tooltips and clickable codex entries — plus new story events, fresh quests, and powerful weapons to help you survive in this newly hostile galaxy.

The Stardeus Ship Combat Update:

Heyo folks, my latest gameplay video has been uploaded!

In this video I’m playing Man ‘O War: Corsair by Evil Twin Artworks. The game is a pirate based Warmhammer game and it puts you in control of the captain of a ship as you fight orcs and other races from the Warmhammer universe.

The video showcases some exploration and a few missions along the way as well. One to take out an enemy ship and another to assassinate the captain. 

I’ll have some more videos from the game as well as a review as soon as I feel I’ve played enough of the game. Happy gaming folks!