Cloaking

Cloaking Device

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

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.

Statistics

• Games started after 11th of September 2011 in VGA Planets Nu have a 0% cloak failure rate
• Games started before above date have a 1% cloak failure rate
• Cloak failure gives this message:
  

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

• Cloaking burns Max (5, Floor((hull mass / 100) * 5))kt of fuel per turn.
• The The Empire of Birds has two ships with an advanced cloaking device.

Counter Strategies

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