This is a basic static turret designed for shooting down light targets, stopping early Strikecraft rushes in a multiplayer game. Like anything that tries to shoot these small ships, it tends to miss far more than it hits, but not as badly as regular point defence weapons. Despite having four small kinetic guns, that shoot 40 points of damage, this thing will be easily overwhelmed by most attacks with its ridiculously low rate of fire. The Vaygr and Hiigaran versions of this unit are practically identical to each other, save for looks. See Hiigaran Gun Turret.

Prerequisites

Platform Control Module

Perks

2 Platform Armour Upgrades

Pros

Not too shabby at hitting Fighters

Cheap to set up, and doesn't use precious production slots

Cheap to upgrade

Better armour than Hiigaran platforms when fully upgraded

Cons

Slow and clumsy, like all Platforms.

Unable to be repaired nor re docked.

Really, only a small step up from regular (inadequate) point defences.

Starts to labour against Corvettes.

Countered by Frigates and Capital warships.

This is the advanced Vaygr turret, designed to attack heavier shipping. Actually, its not too bad, provided it actually decides to take a potshot and you have sufficient numbers of them. Its range is colossal, the same as a Battlecruiser's main missile battery, although they quite clearly inflict far less damage. You'll need a number of them in your defence screen in order for their firepower to become useful. Again, being immobile, they're sitting ducks against Capital warships and massed Strikecraft, especially by those expert Platform smackers, the Pulsar and Laser Corvettes.

This is the equivalent of a scaled down Heavy Missile Frigate although its certainly a lot less robust and the individual missiles only do 950 points of damage. Nevertheless, I've found these things are excellent if they're tucked away inside a dust cloud or next to a Distortion Probe - especially near a resource patch. Use that immense range to get those shots in. What you have is the recipe for a Resource Collector space sniper. again, they're simply to help out your defences, not destroy any attacks single handed. Regardless of their limitations, though, getting this sort of long range striking power for the low, low price of 300RUs is a steal!

This turret almost exclusively shoots Frigates and Capitals if its got the choice - the Frigates get top billing. A cloud of these things will do bugger all to a Battlecruiser.

Prerequisites

Platform Control Module

Research Module

Heavy Missile Platform tech

Perks

2 Platform Armour Upgrades

Pros

Fantastic range: same as a Battlecruiser's main weaponry!

Okay bang for buck.

Cheap to upgrade.

Better armour than Hiigaran platforms once fully upgraded.

Cons

Slow and clumsy, like all Platforms.

Unable to be repaired nor re docked.

Actual missiles are pretty wimpy.

Slow to fire, and oh slow to track targets.

Can't hit Strikecraft!

Just as easy to take out as the Gun Platform...

This is the extra Vaygr Platform that permits ships without Hyperspace Modules to jump across the map. Hyperspace Gates are like teleporters for all Vaygr vessels, including Strikecraft. StarCraft players will immediately recognise these units as a reincarnation of the old Zerg Nydus Canals. You build two Gates, move them to two widely spaced positions on the map, and then connect them together by selecting one and clicking on the other. There's a 1000RU activation fee, and then the Vaygr player has a permanent, two-way wormhole in space to drop their entire force through. Its a bit fiddly to set up, but once in place it can prove to be utterly devastating to your foes - or it can save your bacon if things get tight. You can connect remote resourcing or forward Carrier positions with your main force or slip a Gate behind enemy positions (hidden in a dust cloud or covered by Distortion Probes) and surprise your foes from an unexpected quarter. Look after it, though. Apart from having a bit more armour than a typical Frigate, a Hyperspace Gate is completely defenseless.

At 2500RU's a shot (cost of building and then activating) for a permanent wormhole in space, the Vaygr has a distinct mobility advantage. Its highly recommended you make use of Distortion Probes to hide them and their fragility demands that you don't just plonk them down anywhere. Half a dozen Bomber Squadrons can pretty much demolish them in a single pass. You don't necessarily have to park them near your target either - forming short-cuts between your expansions or connecting up with your allies on large maps is a great way to go.

There is one other problem you should be aware of: your opponent can capture a Hyperspace Gate at the other end and then use it to surprise you.

Prerequisites

Research Module

Platform Control Module

Hyperspace Gate tech

Perks

2 Platform Armour Upgrades

Pros

it can Hyperspace all types of spacecraft!

Apart from the opening fee, all hyperspace travel is free!

Fantastic on large maps. Almost essential, in fact.

Cheap to upgrade

Cons

Slow and clumsy, like all Platforms

Unable to be repaired nor re docked

Its unarmed and easy to lose

You need at least two of them for hyperspacing to work