Doom

Up to date for latest version, 0.98a.

	Designed when phase technology was generally unknown and phase detectors were not a standard of every sensor package, this cruiser has lost the advantage of surprise - but retains a dangerous and flexible weapons loadout.
–In-game description

	Certain unnerving psychological phenomena have been reported by sensitive crew members after enduring many rapid phase-shifts in combat conditions. Domain Navy reports on the subject were never declassified and are thought to have been lost since the Collapse.
–Additional Codex description

Overview

The Doom-class Phase Cruiser is a High Tech Cruiser developed when Phase Cloak tech was at its infancy.

Noted in-lore as one of the first Phase Ships, the Doom is an oddity amongst High Tech ships, and even amongst Cruisers in general. Capable of laying mines with its Mine Strike ship system, the Doom is also equipped with 2 forward Medium Missile hardpoint, 4 forward Small Universal hardpoints, 2 Medium Energy turrets (210°), 2 Small Energy turrets (225°) on the frontal sides, and 2 Small Energy turrets (210°) on the back sides.

The ship is well-armored for a High Tech ship, and even for a Cruiser, with its 1,250 armor giving it more armor than most Low Tech and Midline Cruisers. With its Phase Cloak ability, these combined give the Doom better survivability on the battlefield.

There are two integrated hullmods; a Phase Field which reduces the ship's profile as well as the fleet's, and Delicate Machinery which quickens the rate of combat readiness decay after the ship has passed its peak performance time.

In exchange its powerful abilities, the Doom suffers from a drawback of costing 35 DP, a cost well into Capital ship territory.

Availability

The Doom can be rarely found on non military Tri-Tachyon markets. More commonly found on Tri-Tachyon military markets.

Tips and strategies

The following section contains user-submitted suggestions, these may be inaccurate or outdated.

With great power comes great friendly fire -- take care with mine deployment near allied ships.

While the Doom has surprisingly solid armor, it's speed is rather lethargic compared to some other hulls of the same size due to its ship system being the unique Mine Strike instead of a mobility system. While it can get out of sticky situations with the phase cloak, it is still less agile compared to phase frigates / destroyers. This can be mitigated with proper Flux stats allocation (to capacity), or using hullmods such as Unstable Injector and or Safety Overrides, thought the latter does have the significant caveats as the reduced peak performance time will compound on top of Delicate Machinery & the increased faster time experience from phase cloak.

Alternatively, a captain may choose to improve the Doom's resilience (in addition or in place of mobility). Skill such as elite Combat Endurance, Impact Mitigation or Polarized Armor and hullmods such as Heavy Armor, Solar Shielding, Armored Weapon Mounts or any hullmod that improves resilience.

Mine strategies

Mines can be used to force enemy ships into "Catch 22s", or stuck between a rock & hard place. Against ships with omni shields, the player can place mines behind the ship to encourage the ship to deploy its shield against the mines while leaving itself vulnerable against conventional fire from the front, or against frontal shields the player can just place the mines behind such ships.

This strategy is somewhat mitigated against ships with 360 shields, though the player can still create complications if the shield isn't deployed in time or is slow to deploy. This strategy can be completely countered if the opposing fleet have sufficient point defenses to destroy the mines quickly.

Anti-Doom tactics

A fighter strike on a Doom that is in the middle of its allied ships may indeed be a suicide run but the resulting friendly fire from Doom mine strikes may well be worth it.

Alternatively while in phase, a PC controlled ship can use its PD weapons to coat the area in which Doom is shifted in. The AI will not try to exit phase in this situation resulting in it being forced out of phase, at which point conventional weapons can destroy it.

And as usual, Beam weapons discourage phase ships from unphasing, and High Intensity Laser is quite lethal against them, with the Doom being no exception.

Changelog

Patch 0.96a: Increased CR per deployment to 30% Patch 0.95a: Increased minimum range at which mines spawn near targeted frigates Patch 0.9a:  Improved placement of mines by the Mine Strike ship system, especially against ships whose center-of-rotation doesn't match the center of the ship sprite The Doom will now avoid its own mines if they are a danger New ship system, "Mine Strike", spawns high-damage, high-delay proximity fuse mines Huge buff overall