AI War:Ship Abilities

From Arcen Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search


This page is up to date for game version 5.034 and should still be correct.

Abilities are special features or functions a ship or structure can have.
There are a few Abilities that are actually limitations, these are shown as 'Ability: (Limitation)' in the list below.
A ship's abilities can be found in the ship description pop-up just below the ships numerical values (which are in white) in light gray text.
Note that very few abilities are universal, there are almost always at least a few units in the game Immune to a specific ability. For example the 'Immune to Insta-Kill' Immunity prevents the 'Insta Kills Mark <= 5' from having any effect.


The alphabetical list of Abilities in the game are as follows (leading numbers are ignored for sorting purposes):

Absorbs EMPs: Ships with this ability are healed to 100% health when hit with an EMP effect.
Note that unless the ship also possesses the Immunity: EMP it is still stunned as normal by the EMP effect.
Advanced Warp Detection: When a ship with this ability is present in a system the AI sends an attack wave at, the wave warning in the top left will display the system name instead of ???.
This ability does indicate which wormhole the attack wave will emerge from.
Xx AI Reinforcement While At Planet: Found on the Troop Accelerator, this ability increases the AIs reinforcement waves by the listed multiplier.
All Attackers Get Damage Bonus Against This xXX (Limitation): Found on the Zenith Mirror, all attacks that deal damage to this ship have the damage dealt multiplied by the indicated amount.
Armor Boost For Allied Ships (x Range): This ability doubles the Armor of nearby ships.
Armor Damage x: Every time this ships attack hits an enemy ship, the attack does the listed Armor Damage to the ship's armor as well as the normal damage to the ships health.
Armor Damage slowly regenerates over time on all ships.
Armor Piercing x: When this ship attacks, its shots ignore this much Armor.
Attack Boost For All Allied Ships On Planet (xx%): Found on the Military Command Station, this ability boosts the attack power of all allied ships in the same star system.
Attack Boost For Allied Ships (xx Range, xx%): A ship with this ability boosts the attack power of nearby allies within the listed range by the listed percentage. Note that the number of ships that can be boosted is limited and based on size. So fewer large ships or more smaller ships can be boosted. Yellow lines will link to the ships currently being boosted in game.
Attack Paralyzes x__: When a ship with this ability attacks and deals damage it paralyzes the attacked ship for the duration listed in seconds. So an Attack Paralyzes x10 would paralyze for 10 seconds.
Attacks Are Self-Damaging: When a ship with this ability attacks, it inflicts the same damage on itself. Note that the damage inflicted is before any Attack Bonuses are applied.
Attracts All Incoming Missiles: Found on the Neinzul Youngling Weasel, this ability redirects all nearby attacks with Missile Ammo to strike this ship.
Attrition Per Wormhole Hop Outside Supply xx% (Limitation): When a ship with this ability exits a wormhole into a system that does not have friendly supply, it takes the listed damage as a percentage of its total health. This ability can destroy a ship as it exits a wormhole.
Attritions Enemies x/sec: Deals the listed damage every second to all enemy ships in the same star system. Found on the Attritioner and Spirecraft Attritioner.
Blind (Limitation): This ability means a ship can not see and so can not remove Fog of War from a system.
Can Spawn Ships At Intra-Galactic - (Fabricator Type): Found on fabricators such as the Space Dock, this ability allows ships constructed at a fabricator to be warped to the corresponding Intra-Galactic Warp Gate if one has been built.
Can't Use Wormholes (Limitation): A ship with this ability is unable to use wormholes to warp to a different star system.
Captured On Planet Ownership Change: A structure with this ability changes from AI to Human control when a Human Command Station finishes construction in the same star system.
Found on several structures in the game such as the Advanced Factory.
Currently, the AI can not build command stations during game play and so structures can not come under AI control via this mechanic.
Cloaking: This ability allows a ship to Cloak.
Cloaking Booster xX (xx Range): Boosts the cloak of a nearby cloaked ship so that it can not be revealed by Tachyon Beams. Note that when a ship is boosting another ship's cloak with this ability, its own cloak can not be similarly boosted.
Cloaking SuperBooster xXX (xx Range): Found on the Cloaker Starship, this ability grants the Cloaking ability to the listed number of friendly units, within the listed range. Only mobile ships can be granted cloaking and they are subject to the normal cloaking rules, such as being de-cloaked when they attack.
Construction Rate x: A ship with this ability can assist the Construction of nearby units at the specified rate. Units which directly build units all have an assumed Construction Rate of 1.
Consumed After Building One Ship: A ship with this reuses its own hull to create another ship. The most common example would be the Colony Ship.
Counters Dark Matter: A ship with this ability fires decoy flares that intercept all incoming fire of the Dark Matter type in a limited range. Dark Matter is the ammunition used by Astrotrains and the most common reason for desiring this ability.
Does More Damage To Heavily Armored Targets: Found on the Zenith Polarizer, these units do more attack damage to ships with higher armor. Note that they can still damage ships with no armor, they just do low damage.
Doubles Allies Move Speed: All allied ships in the same star system as the ship with this ability have their Speed doubled.
Emits (Type of) Nuclear Explosion On Destruction: Found on the Nuclear Warhead and a few other ships, when a ship with this ability dies it emits a nuclear explosion. When a system is subject to a nuclear explosion all resource locations in the system are destroyed and the system is rendered Out of Supply for everyone permanently.
Planet-Wide: The nuclear explosion affects the star system the unit is in.
Multi-Planet: The nuclear explosion affects the star system the unit is in as well as all adjacent star systems.
Galaxy-Wide: Every star system in the galaxy is subject to a nuclear explosion.
EMP on destruction: Found on the EMP warhead, this ability means it emits a system wide EMP effect when destroyed. The EMP effect lasts for as long as the ability lists.
Enemy-Only EMP On Wormhole Exit: The major danger that the EMP Guardian poses, this ability causes it to emit an EMP pulse that affects only enemy units that lasts for the listed duration.
Engine Damage x: Every time this ships attack hits an enemy ship, the attack does the listed Engine Damage to the ship's engines as well as the normal damage to the ships health.
Engine Damage is permanent until repaired.
xx Explosion Damage After Death (xx Range): Found on the Spirecraft Martyr, this ability means that when this ship dies it emits a damaging explosion with the range listed. Note that even though this is Area Damage, ships with the Immunity: Area Damage still take damage from this explosion.
Gathers Scout Intel: Allows this ship to Scout.
Halves Enemy Move Speed: All enemy ships in the same star system as the ship with this ability have their Speed halved.
Insta Kills <= Mark x: Most commonly found on the Ion Cannon, when an attack from a unit with this ability strikes a target, if that targets Mark level is equal or less then indicated, that ship instantly dies. Note that most ships without a listed Mark level count as Mark I ships for the purpose of this ability.
If a ship is struck by an attack with this ability, but does not die instantly (too high a Mark level or being immune), the attack deals damage as normal.
Insta Kills Warheads: Found on the Core Warhead Interceptor, this ability allows an attack from this structure to insta kill any Warhead it hits.
Interferes With Enemy Supply: While a ship with this ability is present in-system, it is considered Out of Supply for all enemy units regardless of what the normal Supply situation would be. Most often found on Beachheads and Co-Processor.
Max Ship Speed x Within xx Range: This ship emits a gravitational field that Slows enemy ships to the listed speed within the listed range.
Must Be Manually Targeted: Found on ships with a long reload time such as the Spirecraft Penetrator, this ability prevents the ship from auto-attacking. As the Spirecraft Penetrator has a 30 minute reload time, this prevents its shots being wasted on low-value targets.
Personal Attack Boost Limited To +x% (Limitation): This is the maximum that a ships attack power can be boosted.
Planetary Tachyon Beam Coverage: Found on the Military Command Station Mk III, this ability gives Tachyon Coverage of the entire star system it is in.
Prevents All Teleportation: This ship interferes with teleportation in the system and prevents both allies and enemies from teleporting.
Prevents Enemy Teleportation: Enemy ships can not teleport while in this system and move as any other ship.
Reclaims Enemy Ships: When ships with ability deal damage to an enemy ship, that damage counts as Reclamation Damage and may lead to the target ship being captured and changing sides.
Radar Dampening Range xx: This ability jams the targeting systems of enemy ships so that they must close within the listed range in order to attack this ship.
Reduces Power Of Nearby Incoming Lasers: Found on the Deflector Drone, this ability reduces the attack power of all attacks with the Laser type by 25% in a limited range around itself.
Reflects Incoming Attacks: The feature of the Zenith Mirror, this ability reflects all incoming attacks that are not Area Damage, Missile Ammo, or Melee Attacks. Note that attacks from beyond the Mirror's own attack range are not reflected.
Regen Time xx:xx: This ability gives a ship the ability to regenerate any damage it takes without requiring outside assistance.
The time given is how long it would take the ship to regenerate from 0 to 100% health.
Repair Rate x: A ship with this ability can Repair nearby units at the rate listed.
Replicates Every xx Build Points: A ship with this ability generates build points when it deals damage and once the listed amount of build points are reached it will clone itself. Note that once the ship cap is reached in that star system, the number of build points needed to clone itself will start to increase drastically.
Requires Supply (Limitation): This ship can only function when In Supply. Found on most defensive structures such as Turrets. Note that mobile ships with this ability can still move when Out of Supply but do nothing else.
Retreat Range xx: This ability will cause ships to automatically move to try and keep all enemy ships farther away than the range listed if not protected by an exterior source such as a Force Field.
Self Attrition Only On AI Worlds >= Mark x: Found on the Spirecraft Jumpship and Spirecraft Scout, this ability means that these ships only Self-Attrition when on a world that is equal or higher then their Mark level.
Self Attrition Only When Not Low-Power: Currently found on all ships with the Self Attrition Time ability, this will stop a ship from damaging itself via Self Attrition when put into Low Power Mode.
Self Attrition Time xx:xx (Limitation): Ships with this ability damage themselves over time. The listed time is how long it takes to go from 100% to 0% health.
Unlike other sources of damage, this Ability does not trigger the Repair Cooldown.
Some ships with this ability (such as Golems) can not die from this and will stop damaging themselves at 1 health left.
Others (such as the Neinzul Youngling Tiger) will not stop and will die from this ability.
Strikes All Enemies In Range: Ships with this ability do not fire projectiles but instead hit all enemies in range. More details can be found on the Ammunition Types page.
Tachyon Beam Emission (x Range): Give this ship the ability to emit Tachyon Beams over the listed range.
Target Seek Range: Found on melee range ships such as the Vampire Claw, ships with this ability will chase enemy ships to attack them within the range listed.
Teleports: Grants a ship the ability to instantly teleport to its destination. Note that this does not remove the need for wormholes, to warp to a different system this ship will teleport to the wormhole and use it like any other ship. Note that there is a short cooldown between teleports.
__x Tractor Beam (xx Range): This allows a ship to project Tractor Beams up to the number and over the range listed.
Transports xx Ships: This ship can carry the listed number of ships within itself. Larger ships and units that have a move speed of 0 can not be transported. When a ship carrying other ships dies, all ships being carried are safely ejected as the transporting ship dies.
Unaffected By Negative Energy: ???
Unlocks Ship Type On Capture: Found on the Advanced Research Ship, this ability allows the construction of another type of Fleet Ship at your Space Dock when captured.
Vampisirm: A ship with this ability heals itself when it deals damage with an attack. The current 'best guess' is that the unit heals for the same amount of damage it deals on a 1 to 1 basis.
Warp Detection: When a ship with this ability is present in a system the AI sends an attack wave at, the wave warning in the top left will display the system name instead of ???.
This ability does not indicate which wormhole the attack wave will emerge from.
Warp Gate: This ability allows the AI to send ships from outside the galaxy.
Warp Gate(Reinforce) allows the AI to reinforce the local star system.
Warp Gate(Wave) allows the AI to send attack waves against adjacent systems.
Warp Gate(Full) grants both the Reinforce and Wave abilities in one structure.
Warp Jammer: Found on the Warp Jammer Command Station, this ability prevents the adjacent systems from going on Alert due to the loss of the AI Command Station and prevents the AI from sending attack waves directly to the system with the warp jammer.





AI War Navigation Reference
AI War:Wiki Home - AI War:Reference Section - AI War:Strategies Section
Version History Version 2.000Version 3.000Version 4.000Version 5.000Version 6.000Versions 6.00Beta - 7.00Versions 7.00Beta - 8.00Versions 8.00+
Game Content AI War:Base GameExpansion 1: The Zenith RemnantExpansion 2: Children of Neinzul
Expansion 3: Light of the SpireExpansion 4: Ancient ShadowsExpansion 5: Vengeance of the MachineExpansion 6: Destroyer of Worlds
Getting Started User Interface and ControlsNew Game OptionsTutorial WalkthroughGame Objectives (What do I do next?)How the AI Attacks You (AI Progress, Waves and Threat)I'm stuck! Help? (Player submitted questions)
Enemy AI Types and AI Plots AI Opponent Types: (Easier - Moderate - Harder - Technologist) ♦ AI Plots: (Avenger - Hybrid Hives - Advanced Hybrids - Astro Trains - Beachheads - Hunter - Shark-A - Shark-B - Counter Posts - Warp Relays - Preemption)
Minor Factions Human MaraudersHuman Resistance FightersHuman Colony RebellionsZenith TradersZenith MinersZenith Dyson SphereZenith DevourerBroken Golems (Easy) (Moderate) (Hard)Botnet Golem (Easy) (Moderate) (Hard)Neinzul Rocketry CorpsNeinzul Preservation WardensNeinzul Roaming EnclavesFallen SpireSpire Civilian LeadersSpirecraft (Easy) (Moderate) (Hard)Dark SpireAlt Champion ProgressAlt Champion NemesisShowdown DevicesNomad PlanetsExodian Blade
Ships and Structures Fleet ShipsStarshipsSpirecraftTurretsGuardiansGuard PostsMilitary StructuresEconomic StructuresGolemsWarheadsAstroTrains
Combat Mechanics Ammunition TypesShip ImmunitiesShip AbilitiesHull TypesAttack MultipliersArmor (Overall Damage Calculations)Engines and Speed (including Tractor Beams and Gravity Effects)Force Field InteractionsCloaking and Tachyon Beams(Stealth)Capturing Ships and Structures (& Reclamation)Strategic reserve
Economic Mechanics Crystal and Metal HarvestingEnergy GenerationScience and Knowledge and Hacking the AIBuild Time and Constructors (including Repair)
Miscellaneous Map seeds of interestGlossary