Cataclysm features eighteen all-new ships, all with specific special abilities. A number of these are small, maneuverable Strike Craft, the most basic of which is the versatile Acolyte fighter. Acolytes, as with all vessels, can be upgraded with a number of offensive and defensive systems such as missile launchers or afterburners. Another Strike Craft, the Mimic, has no weapons, but is equipped with a holographic projector that can disguise itself as an enemy ship or an asteroid. After drawing close to a deceived enemy, the Mimic can execute a devastating kamikaze attack. Both the Acolyte and the Mimic can be augmented with Composite Vessel technology: two Acolytes or two Mimics can dock, forming a larger, more powerful corvette-class ship. Composite Acolytes provide incredible versatility, as they can move to a target at high speed in fighter mode, link together, and attack with increased firepower in corvette mode. Composite Mimics can impersonate larger ships, and pack a bigger explosive punch. The Sentinel is another notable Strike Craft that can generate a protective force field. Twelve Sentinels can completely shield another ship; although weapons fire can destroy the field, it regenerates over time. Another Strike Craft, the Leech breaching pod, is an insidious unmanned weapon. After evading detection using stealth technology, the Leech clamps on to an enemy ship's hull and slowly destroys it. It can also siphon resources from the target vessel, or simply relay spy information. The many varieties of Strike Craft allow players to choose from a large number of strategies.

Other new units in Cataclysm are larger capital ships, such as the Ramming Frigate, which barrels headlong into enemies, pushing them away from the battle. Another interesting capital ship is the Hive Frigate, the descendant of Homeworld's Drone Frigate. The Hive Frigate, which deploys several controllable Swarmer attack drones, is also equipped with integral weapons of its own, making it a potent force in battle. The Multibeam Frigate is another powerful vessel, as it is able to fire ion beams capable of cutting enemy fleets to pieces from turrets that have wide firing arcs. The largest of the capital ships include the Destroyer and the massive Dreadnought, both of which bristle with deadly weapons. Players can also construct a Carrier, which, like the command ship, can build and house Strike Craft. These capital ships form the backbone of the Somtaaw fleet.

A pair of non-combat ships round out Cataclysm's new units: the Worker and the Processor. The Worker is a flexible ship that fulfills many duties, including harvesting resources, repairing damaged craft, and salvaging crippled enemy vessels. It is maneuverable, but slow, and defending it is a high priority, as in any RTS title. The Ore Processor can accompany Workers to resource fields that are far away from the command ship and process raw materials on-site. The processor is also armed with turreted cannons, and automatically repairs any friendly vessel that pulls alongside it. These non-combat ships are a necessary addition to the large variety of Somtaaw vessels.

The real star of Cataclysm is the Beast, a frightening new adversary. The Beast is a communal entity that can take over ships by infecting them with a techno-organic virus transmitted via a particle beam weapon. Beast ships, therefore, are an amalgam of infected Somtaaw ships, Taiidani Imperial vessels, and Turanic pirate ships. Contaminated ships lose some maneuverability, but gain an extra layer of organic armor, making them somewhat tougher. Players can take on the role of the Beast in multiplayer games, which presents some new challenges. For example, the Beast lacks the ability to conduct research, so all of its technology is reverse-engineered from captured ships. While this is somewhat of a handicap, the Beast also has the ability to speed up various processes such as building ships or charging the infection weapon at the cost of some physical damage.

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