Structs Combat

Structs Combat

Important: Entity IDs containing dashes (like 5-10, 9-3) are misinterpreted as flags by the CLI parser. All transaction commands in this skill use -- before positional arguments to prevent this.

Procedure

1. Scout — structsd query structs planet [id], structsd query structs struct [id] for targets, shield, defenses.
2. Optional stealth — structsd tx structs struct-stealth-activate --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [struct-id] before attack.
3. Attack structs — structsd tx structs struct-attack --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [operating-struct-id] [target-struct-id,target-id2,...] [weapon-system]. Can target multiple structs.
4. Raid flow — Move fleet to target: structsd tx structs fleet-move --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [fleet-id] [destination-location-id]. Then structsd tx structs planet-raid-compute -D 3 --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [fleet-id]. Compute auto-submits the complete transaction. Move fleet home. Refine stolen ore immediately.
5. Defense setup — structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -y -- [defender-struct-id] [protected-struct-id] to assign; structsd tx structs struct-defense-clear --from [key] --gas auto -y -- [defender-struct-id] to remove.

Commands Reference

Raid flow: fleet-move → planet-raid-compute (auto-submits complete) → fleet-move home → refine stolen ore. Common tx flags: --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y.

Raid Timing

Fleet movement (fleet-move) is instant — no transit time. The only time cost in a raid cycle is the PoW compute.

planet-raid-compute uses -D flag (range 1-64) to wait until difficulty drops before hashing. Raid PoW difficulty depends on the target planet's properties. Launch raid compute in a background terminal — it may take minutes to hours depending on difficulty. Use -D 3 for zero wasted CPU. Compute auto-submits the complete transaction.

Important: Your fleet is locked "away" during the raid compute. You cannot build on your planet while your fleet is away. Plan accordingly — complete all planet builds before moving fleet for a raid.

Ambit Targeting

Each weapon can only hit specific ambits. Before attacking, verify your struct's weapon can reach the target's ambit.

Command Ship positioning: The Command Ship is the only struct that can change ambits via struct-move. It can only attack structs in its current ambit (ambit flag 32 = "Local"). Move it to the target's ambit before attacking. Move it away from enemy weapon ranges as a defensive tactic.

Weapon Control vs Defense Type

The interaction between weapon control (guided/unguided) and target defense determines evasion. This is the core of combat tactics:

Tactics: Use unguided weapons vs Signal Jamming, guided vs Defensive Maneuver. Armour always reduces by 1.

Stealth rules:

• Stealthed structs can still be attacked from the same ambit -- stealth only blocks cross-ambit targeting
• Attacking instantly deactivates stealth (firing reveals position)
• Re-activation costs 1 charge (struct-stealth-activate)

Strategic Positioning

Offensive: Move your Command Ship to the ambit where you want to deal damage. Use cross-ambit attackers (Battleship, Stealth Bomber, SAM Launcher, Submersible) for coverage without repositioning.

Defensive: If the enemy fleet can only target specific ambits, move your Command Ship to an ambit they cannot reach. Diversify defenders across ambits so you can block attacks from any direction.

High-value cross-ambit units: Battleship (Space→Space/Land/Water), SAM Launcher (Land→Space/Air), Stealth Bomber (Air→Land/Water), Submersible (Water→Space/Water), Cruiser (Water→Land/Water + Air secondary). These structs threaten multiple ambits and are the foundation of flexible fleet composition.

Verification

• Query planet shield, struct health
• Query fleet location (onStation vs away)
• Stolen ore: refine immediately; verify with struct/player queries
• Attack results include health values (remaining health after attack) -- use to assess damage dealt
• Raid seized_ore is tracked on planet_raid record -- query to see total ore stolen

Combat Notes

• Minimum damage after reduction is 1 -- attacks always deal at least 1 damage
• Offline/destroyed structs cannot counter-attack
• Each struct can only commit once per attack action (no double-commit)
• Target struct existence is validated before attack proceeds
• Hashing for raid-compute is open by default -- any valid proof accepted
• Successful raids seize ALL of the target's storedOre -- one raid takes everything
• Destroyed structs are gone forever but can be replaced by building a new struct of the same type (full PoW required)
• Protect your Command Ship -- losing it disables your entire fleet until a replacement is built

Combat Readiness Checklist

Before engaging in combat, verify all conditions:

• Command Ship online — structsd query structs struct [cmd-ship-id], status = Online
• Fleet on station (for defense) or fleet away (for raids) — structsd query structs fleet [fleet-id]
• Sufficient charge — Weapons cost 1-20 charge. At ~6 sec/block, 20 charge = 2 minutes
• Power capacity headroom — Total load must stay below capacity during combat
• Defense structs assigned — PDC, Orbital Shield, defenders set via struct-defense-set
• Available struct slot — If building combat structs, check planet slots (0-3 per ambit)
• Ore refined or secured — Unrefined ore is stealable. Refine before engaging in raids that may invite retaliation

Defense Formations

Assign defenders to protect high-value structs. Defenders absorb incoming attacks before the protected struct takes damage.

Minimum viable defense: Assign at least one combat struct per ambit to defend your Command Ship. Command Ship has 6 HP; most fleet structs have 3 HP. Without defenders, a Command Ship can be destroyed in just a few attacks.

Example formation (4 Starfighters defending Command Ship):

structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -y -- [starfighter-1-id] [command-ship-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -y -- [starfighter-2-id] [command-ship-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -y -- [starfighter-3-id] [command-ship-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -y -- [starfighter-4-id] [command-ship-id]

Rules:

• Defenders must be in the same ambit as the target being defended to block (not the attacker's ambit)
• A struct cannot block for a friendly in a different ambit
• Defenders whose weapons can reach the attacker's ambit will counter-attack automatically — this is in addition to the normal counter-attack most structs have
• Counter-attacks are ambit-independent from the defended target (a space defender can counter a space attacker while defending a land struct)
• Each defender assignment costs 1 charge -- stagger 6s apart (same account)
• Build defense BEFORE economy or offense -- always
• Defense protects structs from destruction but does NOT prevent ore seizure -- the only defense for ore is immediate refining

Error Handling

• "insufficient charge" — Weapon needs charge; check struct state.
• "target invalid" — Target may be destroyed, stealthed, or out of range.
• "unreachable" / "out_of_range" — Your weapon cannot target that ambit. Check the targeting matrix above and reposition your Command Ship or use a different struct.
• "fleet not away" — Raids require fleet away; move fleet first.
• "proof invalid" — Re-run raid-compute with correct difficulty.
• Stolen ore — Refine immediately; ore is stealable until refined.

See Also

• knowledge/mechanics/combat — Damage, evasion, raids, defense
• knowledge/mechanics/fleet — Fleet movement, on-station rules
• knowledge/mechanics/resources — Ore vulnerability, Alpha Matter