Firing at maximum range.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

I always set my missileboats, like Parasite says, to "Max range/Don't get hurt". If you have "Max range/Max range", and your weapons are reloading, the max range of all available weapons is essentially 0, therefore it tries to close to range 0 and gets whacked. If your secondary strategy is "Don't get hurt", however, it'll move away from the enemy when reloading. Works like a charm in one-on-one combat with early-game DUC scout ships, as they have the exact same speed. I think it'd work in a one-on-one missile vs missile duel too, provided you used the same missiles on ships with the same speed and you get to fire the first shot. In skirmishes or battles involving multiple ships, I guess the first shot is somewhat less important where missileboats are concerned, provided your high-speed short-range ships take care of the enemy missileboats, while your own missileboats take out the enemy's close-range warships. But then again I guess there's also truth in the old adage of "safety in numbers"; bring a large enough force of close-rangers, and you'll kick some alien excrement valve.