Beginner Question about Tactical Battle

[spacefan]

I'm relatively new at space empires 4, and never played space empires 3, only a lot of 2, so I am getting used to it gradually. Anyway, I'm in this middle of this game in a small galaxy with lots of empires, because I want lots of wars.

4-5 turns into the game, I have DUC 2 and Frigate and 1 ship comes through into my system, and decides not to accept a peace treaty.

So I build a Frigate with the DUC 2 components, go into battle against this ship

He has a escort with DUC 1, and yet his weapons hit constantly and mine miss.

I tried this in several other battles against this empire, one of them was with DUC 4 against his DUC 1. There wasn't any combat support components yet.

So then I looked up his race, and he has impressive bonus to agressiveness and defensivness. (I'm at 100% in both of those, bonusses to Intel and Mining + Propulsion)

So my question is, how do you beat a empire that has an advantage in those two, especially when it gets larger, should I just use missiles? Or just overwhelm him with more ships and better ships. I miss about 66% of the time even at 1 square away from him. And he hits like 70-80% of the time.

[Deathstalker]

Space combat is a tricky thing. If you are lacking in the 'to hit' department you could do many things. You could mine off the warp point and then research sensors (giving you 20% bonus and up), you could use missiles and stay at long range. Or you could just overwhelm him with lots of ships, be sneaky. I prefer to use missile ships with boarding componants, damage him, take his ships and then use his tech as my own. And yes I've used 10ships to his 2, you have to if his tech/to hit bonus is a lot better. If you can't go one on one with ships then use your other resources like mines, fighters and satellites. Every race has its advantages and disadvantages.
Any other questions just ask , someone is bound to answer and come up with something you havn't thought of, and the reverse goes as well. You just might have a strategy that someone else hasn't thought of. (see 'Operation Slick Weasel' and the '89 movement baseship' threads for more 'cheese'.)

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

[Coal]

What I try to do early in the game is use lots of missiles. Reasearch destroyers and design them with three missiles and two DUCs, then you simply make more of them. If you think you can risk it, put all your ships into one fleet so you will have the greater firepower advantage.
What you could also do is fight defensivly. Use a large fleet to fight any enemy ships that enter your territory, and keep asking them for a trade alliance.
If diplomacy fails, go to a full offensive plan. Hit their planets constantly and wipe them from the galaxy.

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Rules? What Rules?

[Nitram Draw]

Definately overwhelm them if you can, after all who wants to get into a fair fight? The more ships you have the better off you will be because in the early stages of the game most races haven't researched multiplex tracking so they can only fire at on ship at a time.
If all else fails put warheads on your escorts and ram him, you don't miss this way!