Stellaris, the hit sci-fi grand strategy from Paradox Interactive, is a game that has grown massively since its 2016 launch. A steady stream of updates, reworks, and DLC expansions have seen Stellaris go from an ordinary sci-fi strategy to a vast galaxy simulator in which players can pursue goals ranging from forging a democratic alliance of species to wiping out all life in the galaxy.
Stellaris' recent 3.6 update brought a major rework of the game's ship combat system, introducing new Components, tactics, and even a new ship type, the Frigate. Frigates are an advanced version of the Corvette chassis, with slightly increased defenses, less speed and evasion, and the ability to fit Torpedo-class weaponry. Torpedoes come with the unique bonus of dealing scaling damage based on the size of their target, with large ships like Battleships and Titans taking far more damage than Corvettes or Destroyers.
How to Build Frigates in Stellaris
Unlike their cousin the Corvette, Frigates are not unlocked at the start of a game of Stellaris. Instead, players will need to find and research the Space Torpedoes technology before they can begin adding Frigates to their fleet. Space Torpedoes has no prerequisites to research, though Stellaris' semi-random tech choices may mean that players don't get a chance to start it for some time. Playing as an Empire with the Militarist Ethic will increase the odds of Space Torpedoes appearing, as will a Scientist with the Propulsion Expert Trait.
Once players have finished Space Torpedoes, they'll unlock the Component of the same name and the Frigate ship type to carry it. Frigates are only slightly more expensive than Corvettes, and can be built at any Station or Orbital Ring Shipyard. However, although players can unlock Frigates in the first decades of the game, they may want to hold off on building them until enemy fleets start using larger ships.
How to Use Frigates in Stellaris
The Frigate is one of the most specialized ship types in Stellaris, a capital ship hunter that performs poorly against Corvettes and Destroyers but can be devastating against Cruisers, Battleships, and Titans. This makes the Frigate increasingly useful as time passes in a game of Stellaris, with more Empires unlocking capital ship technologies and relying on heavier fleets rather than swarms of Corvettes. A wolf-pack of Frigates can destroy a significantly more expensive Battleship with few casualties, especially if their target is outfitted with large weapons to fight other capital ships.
Frigates are also useful against the huge Guardians that sometimes occupy Systems in Stellaris, as well as certain mid and end-game crisis fleets which rely on larger ships and forgo Corvettes and Destroyers. In order to get the most out of their Frigates, players should equip them to excel in their hit-and-run role:
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Primary Weapon:
- Kinetic Torpedoes - The first kind of Torpedoes that players will unlock, Kinetic Torpedoes are large, slow-moving missiles that can be shot-down by point-defense but penetrate shields and deal bonus damage to armor and hull.
- Energy Torpedoes - The Proton Launcher and Neutron Launcher are advanced Torpedo Components that don't penetrate shields but ignore point-defense, have no travel time, and deal massively increased damage to armor and hull.
- Secondary Weapon: The best weapon to go in the Frigate's small secondary slot depends largely on which type of Torpedoes are being used. For Kinetic Torpedoes, players may want to use another shield-piercing weapon like Missiles to double-down on armor and hull damage. For Energy Torpedoes, it's better to fit a close-range Kinetic weapon that can quickly destroy shields, like an Autocannon.
- Defenses and Auxiliary: The best defensive Components for Frigates will depend heavily on what players have unlocked and the damage types of the enemy they're facing in Stellaris. However, Afterburners are a great choice in the Auxiliary slot, allowing Frigates to quickly close the distance and bring their close-range Torpedoes to bear.
Stellaris is currently available on PC, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.