Start-supply

Not less than a few billion times would you have cursed your piloting habits and how they get your shiny Frigates and Cruisers blown into smithereens.

Do you want some change? Feel the need of doing something that would save you and your buddies from exploding? Supplying is the way to go.

Requirements

• 1 Supply ship (with Repair/Reload drones)
• 1 Damaged buddy

The second one won't be hard to find, as everyone is a buddy and everyone is just seconds from blowing up.

Reload (repair) drones are found mainly on Supply ships and Support Stations. They repair the armor and hull of a target ally, and reload ammunition and jump drive fuel. They have a short range of 250-300 GU, and provide 25 minutes (Supply) to 58 minutes (Station) of repairing capacity.
Repair fields are an enhanced tool of repairing found only on support stations. They have a large range of 500 GU and repair all ships within range.

Each Faction has a catalogue of supply-capable ships to use.

UGTO have the ST-31 Supply (1 Repair drone) and ST-32 Heavy Supply (2 Repair drones).

ICC have the ML-290 Supply (1 drone) and ML-292 Heavy Supply (2 drones) and the ME-117 Engineer (1 Reload drone).

K'Luth have the Worker (1 drone), Advanced Worker (2 drones) and Ultimate Worker (2 Reload drones).

The light supply ships require 1st Lieutenant Rank for piloting, and have an emphasis on defensive beams. Heavy supplies require Commander Rank and carry a pair of tractor beams for hauling supply platforms with them. The both the Ultimate Worker and the ME-117 carry a complement of reload drones and build drones (for platforms, planets and such).

All supply ships cost approximately 40,000 resources, and with exception of the ME-117, they require a Shipyard having 75 Technology for construction.

Action

With a target selected and within range, pressing Y will activate the drones and your target will become healthy rapidly. Easy, right?

Supply ships are as damaging as a Scout, tough as a regular Frigate, fast as a Destroyer and have the agility of a Cruiser. Pilots are advised to be careful not to let their ships wander into gunfire if they expect to survive long.

In heavy and prolonged combat, supply ships will inevitably run out of repair drones. These can be restocked at planetary depots, or while orbiting an allied planet or at a supply platform.

As unreal as it may sound, supply ships are fully capable of repairing themselves and reloading their jump drive and weapons (though, they mostly have beams). To achieve this tricky feat, press Shift + Y and rejoice.

Repairing ships earns you Repair points. 1 Repair point is worth 2.5 Prestige.

End note

Supply ships, because of the service they render to their allies, are often important targets for enemy fleets. Supply pilots should always be prepared to escape the battle field and help other escapees survive.

Supply ships can work both actively and passively. It is perfectly acceptable for other ships to come to you in deep space, instead of you going to them and into enemy fire.

Supply ships work best with medium to long ranged combat ships, heavily armored bombers and as part of fleets invading enemy planets.

Supplying is an effective way of earning prestige, and can help allies save their own prestige. It is without doubt the second most respected role that a ship can have.