1. Why Stations Get Attacked
Stations are heat magnets. Refineries, reactors, and cargo transfers generate constant thermal output that aliens detect from 10-15km away. Unlike ships, stations can't run or dodge. If your station's combined heat signature exceeds 60%, expect a raid within 90 seconds.
⚠️ The #1 Station Killer
Players build massive industrial stations with 3 refineries and no turrets, then wonder why a Frigate destroyed 200,000 credits of infrastructure. The rule is: 1 turret per heat-generating module, minimum.
2. Turret Placement & Coverage
Turrets have a firing arc — they can't shoot through your own station. Proper placement ensures 360° coverage with no blind spots.
| Station Size | PD Turrets | Plasma Turrets | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (5-10 modules) | 2-3 | 0 | Top and bottom for 360° drone coverage |
| Medium (10-20 modules) | 4-6 | 1-2 | 4 corners + top/bottom. Plasma on front face (alien approach vector) |
| Large (20-40 modules) | 8-12 | 3-4 | Ring formation. PDs every 45°. Plasmas facing known spawn directions |
| Fortress (40+ modules) | 16+ | 6+ | Multiple rings. Dedicated defense wing. Overlapping fields of fire |
💡 Identify the Threat Vector
Aliens always approach from the nearest hostile zone marker on your map. Identify which direction that is and place 70% of your turrets facing that way. The remaining 30% cover flanks and rear in case of encirclement.
3. Shield Strategy for Stations
Station shields work differently from ship shields — they project a spherical bubble around the entire station, covering all attached modules. Larger stations need stronger shields to maintain bubble integrity.
- Light Shield: Covers up to 10 modules. 2,000 HP. Regen: 50/sec. Good for starter stations.
- Medium Shield: Covers up to 25 modules. 5,000 HP. Regen: 120/sec. Standard for mid-game stations.
- Heavy/Capital Shield: Covers up to 50 modules. 12,000 HP. Regen: 300/sec. Required for fortress stations.
- Redundancy: Install a backup shield generator. If the primary goes down during a raid, the secondary auto-activates.
4. Defense Platform Designs
PD Platform (Anti-Drone/Swarm): Small Reactor + 3× PD Turret Mk II + Battery + Basic Radiator. 8 modules. Cost: ~12,000. Place 3-5 around your station at 2km distance. They create a drone kill-zone before enemies reach your main station.
Heavy Defense Platform (Anti-Corvette/Frigate): Medium Reactor + 2× Plasma Turret + 1× Railgun Turret + Medium Shield + 3× PD Turret + Military Radiator ×2. 15 modules. Cost: ~45,000. Place 2-3 between your station and hostile zones. These will kill or severely damage frigates before they reach firing range.
5. Raid Response Protocol
- Detection: Your station's threat warning system alerts you when hostile signatures appear within 10km
- Immediate action: Shut down non-essential industrial modules (refineries, excess reactors) — this drops heat and may cause weaker enemies to lose lock
- Power to shields: Press [2] on any docked ship or station control to maximize shield regen
- Launch combat ships: If you have patrol ships, launch them immediately. Intercept enemies 5km+ from the station
- Target priority: Scouts first (prevent reinforcements) → Corvettes (immediate threat) → Frigates (sustained damage)
- Repair immediately: After the raid, use the Repair Bay to fix all damage. Don't wait — the next raid could come in 5 minutes
6. Defense Cost Calculator
| Station Tier | Modules | Min Defense Cost | As % of Station Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | ~8 | ~4,000 | ~25% |
| Industrial | ~20 | ~25,000 | ~35% |
| Fortress | ~40 | ~80,000 | ~30% |
Rule of thumb: Budget 25-35% of your station's total cost for defense. It's cheaper than rebuilding from scratch.
Related: Combat & Defense · Enemy Types · Station Building