EMP Vessel (Electronic Warfare)
The EMP is a specialist electronic warfare vessel that disrupts enemy fleet and planetary systems rather than destroying them. On arrival at a target system, EMP vessels suppress enemy shield generators and communications relays for a number of ticks proportional to the number of EMP ships in the attacking fleet.
A suppressed system cannot call for allied reinforcements, cannot activate emergency defense bonuses, and has its shield rating halved for the duration of the suppression. EMP vessels carry no weapons and are low-value combat targets — they require escort to function. Their effectiveness is as a force multiplier on the attack fleet that follows them.
Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack | 0 |
| Defense | 5 |
| Speed | 3 |
| Cargo | 0 |
| Metal cost | 40 |
| Crystal cost | 20 |
| Deuterium cost | 8 |
| Special | Suppresses target shields and comms for 2 ticks (stacks with fleet count) |
Visual Aesthetic
EMP vessels are antenna-farm configurations — a small core hull surrounded by extended radiating arrays oriented in all directions. They generate no visible weapon fire; their effectiveness is signaled only by the corona of electromagnetic discharge that surrounds the target structure. Catari EMP variants are particularly distinctive: crystalline lattice arrays that pulse in alternating blue frequencies before discharge — a natural fit for a race whose doctrine favors disabling a target over destroying it.
UI Tooltip
Electronic warfare. Suppresses enemy shields and comms before your main fleet arrives. Cannot fight — escort required.