Cloaking

Overview

Cloaking is a mission that allows a ship to be hidden from the enemy at the cost of extra fuel. A ship must be undamaged to cloak.

$\operatorname {burn} =max(5,floor(5*mass/100))$

Cloaked ships are also less likely to hit mines (50% of normal probability per light-year). They can also attack ships without attacking a planet simply by setting a Primary Enemy, although they will attack the planet as well if they take damage taking out the starships.

In games that started no later than September 11, 2011, cloaking devices had a 1% chance to malfunction randomly, leaving the ship uncloaked for that turn. Cloaking devices no longer malfunction randomly.

We've had a problem in our engine room. Our cloaking device has failed!

Countermeasures

Being attacked by ships with a cloaking device can be tough.

There are mainly three more-or-less effective counter-measures:

• Lay many minefields where you suspect cloaked enemies (preferably overlapping minefields). Web mines are even better, if available.
• A Loki Class Destroyer will decloak any cloaked ships with in 10 ly around it (doesn't work versus ships owned by Feds, Lizards and Birds).
• Ships with a glory device can also be used to decloak (and possibly disable or destroy) a cloaked ship at the same location.

Cloak-Capable Ships

The Lizards

Name	Tech	Beams	T/F	En	MC	Dur	Tri	Mol	Mass	Cargo	Fuel	Crew	Abilities	Adv
Reptile Class Destroyer	3	4	0/0	2	50	22	33	15	60	50	120	45	Cl	5
Lizard Class Cruiser	4	4	3/0	2	190	42	81	30	160	290	330	430	Cl	20
Saurian Class Light Cruiser	7	4	2/0	2	85	32	67	23	120	150	260	336	Cl	10

The Empire of the Birds

Name	Tech	Beams	T/F	En	MC	Dur	Tri	Mol	Mass	Cargo	Fuel	Crew	Abilities	Adv
Swift Heart Class Scout	1	2	0/0	1	60	6	20	5	45	20	170	126	Neb, Cl	5
White Falcon Class Cruiser	3	4	1/0	2	110	32	61	33	120	140	430	150	Cl	10
Bright Heart Class Destroyer	3	2	4/0	2	140	22	43	15	80	40	90	122	Cl	5
Fearless Wing Cruiser	5	6	1/0	2	180	52	81	63	150	240	360	300	Cl	10
Deth Specula Class Frigate	6	6	4/0	2	280	25	45	89	113	35	140	240	RS, Cl	10
Resolute Class Battlecruiser	7	8	3/0	2	380	52	71	93	180	280	480	348	Adv. C	30
Red Wind Class Carrier	8	2	0/2	2	150	22	37	15	70	60	85	40	Cl	5
Dark Wing Class Battleship	10	10	8/0	2	450	170	183	110	491	150	290	910	Adv. C	80

The Fascists

Name	Tech	Beams	T/F	En	MC	Dur	Tri	Mol	Mass	Cargo	Fuel	Crew	Abilities	Adv
D7 Coldpain Class Cruiser	4	4	2/0	2	120	42	71	63	175	100	430	373	RS, Cl	10
D3 Thorn Class Destroyer	5	2	4/0	2	110	32	43	25	90	40	120	222	RS, Cl	5
Deth Specula Class Frigate	6	6	4/0	2	280	25	45	89	113	35	140	240	RS, Cl	10

The Privateers

Name	Tech	Beams	T/F	En	MC	Dur	Tri	Mol	Mass	Cargo	Fuel	Crew	Abilities	Adv
Br4 Class Gunship	1	5	0/0	2	60	12	17	35	55	20	80	55	Grav, Cl	25
Dwarfstar Class Transport	3	6	0/0	2	280	62	43	15	100	220	180	122	Cl	5
Br5 Kaye Class Torpedo Boat	3	4	1/0	2	70	22	17	15	57	20	80	40	Grav, Cl	30
D3 Thorn Class Destroyer	5	2	4/0	2	110	32	43	25	90	40	120	222	RS, Cl	5
Meteor Class Blockade Runner	5	4	4/0	2	250	22	17	55	90	120	285	102	Grav, Cl	90
Red Wind Class Carrier	8	2	0/2	2	150	22	37	15	70	60	85	40	Cl	5

Other Races

Other races cannot build cloaking ships. However, they can capture and use cloaking ships from other races, and can (for some races) clone them.

See Also

• Cloak Intercept
• Advanced Cloak