Mauler

Mauler
The Mauler
General Data
Faction	Substrate
Type	Cruiser
Cost	8 Logistics, 380 Metal, 90 Radioactives, 50 seconds
Statistics
Hit Points	280
Shields	700
Energy	100
Armor	20%

The Mauler is a cruiser-class ship for the Substrate.

Robust cruiser effective against other cruisers.

Background

This medium-range cruiser comes armed with a Hyena Laser Array, which boasts a small amount of armor-piercing making it is viciously effective against cruisers. As a backup, the Mauler's Dissuader Particle Response provides short-range defense against smaller targets.

Weapon Specs

Hyena Laser Cutting Array

Adapted mining tool viciously effective in short-ranged combat against large targets.

• 31 DPS per unit
• 400 meter range
• Requires Energy

Dissuader Particle Response Level 1

Short-range defensive energy weapon for smaller targets.

• 12 DPS per unit
• 600 meter range

Game Usage

• Mauler evaporates most other cruisers within a few seconds, despite having a deceivingly low DPS that its weapons display. This makes Mauler the backbone unit of most Substrate armies, simply offering excellent brute force firepower to deal with cruisers, dreadnoughts and juggernauts.
• Despite having a weapon to deal with frigates, Mauler is generally helpless against a squad of frigates and will require support from frigates or anti-frigate cruisers, such as the Avenger. Unlike Athena, Mauler cannot fire its main weapon on frigates (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
• Mauler uses energy to fire its main weapon and the energy consumption to do so is quite drastic. However, it's surprisingly not required to have Capacitor always accompanying the Mauler simply due to the fashion of which Mauler wins or loses in combat, simply by brute force. It either survives and have time to regenerate energy or it goes down to opponent's Maulers or Athenas.
• Mauler is mostly shielded, with very low HP, as opposed to the Masochist. This allows the Mauler to regenerate most of its damage taken, given time. However, this also causes the Mauler to be extremely susceptible to EMP Pulse orbital.
• Despite offering very reliable brute force damage, Mauler will eventually have problem with heavy cruisers, high level dreadnoughts, juggernauts or dreadnoughts and/or juggernauts with proper support armies should they ever gain critical mass or level advantage. Thus, it's important to transition out of mass Mauler when it's no longer effective.