So why do you choose Vulkoras

A marza or vulkoras can be useful as your 1st or 2nd cap if you plan on rushing early and need to wipe out planets fast...after the early game though, I don't personally find much use for it...

The assault platforms and the assault specialization are the two abilities to pick...PM swarm limits the AM you have for the siege platforms and doesn't damage enough targets to be particularly useful so it should probably be avoided...

Against the AI I always get one, simply as a planet sieging platform its second to none. Considering I usually play with capital victory on, I find its worth far more than its fleet supply in siege frigates, and its still worth something in a fight. Against players I haven't tried it, but a few people used the Vulkoras rush in Diplomacy, now with the capital victory condition it might be worth while again.

Also corvettes might make missile swarm just a bit better early game.

This is true though you have to have a least a small fleet built around supporting it, versus the capital supporting a fleet if this is your goal. It's an alright, though slightly sub-par Capital that excels in a few small areas.

If PMS got it's target count buffed, I think it might be useful, but maybe that's just me..

PMS? Pre Menstral Syndrome? More women with PMS? OH! Phase Missile Swarm.

Seriously Volt, you need to use less acronyms.  Half the people reading your posts probably don't know what you are talking about.  I often struggle to understand, and I know the ability list as well as anyone.

Yeah, I agree, its ability to planet siege is "second to none" (at lower levels).

Pre menstrual syndrom DOESN'T NEED A BUFF.

There is simple reason to build Vulkoras - alongside Kortul its the best looking and most iconic Vasari vessel   

Am I alone in feeling that instead of adding 1 new cap each, the existing caps should have been revisiting. I feel like there aren't enough roles in a race to warrant 6 caps unless I get, say, a merchant cap ship, or a diplomatic cap ship, or a starbase builder cap.

Actually, that all sounds reasonable, gimme.

So according your posts, it is still useful for early game rush?

OK I will try this strategy in my next game. Thx.

That's also what I think. All the 3 new Caps have more or less duplicate roles with the old ones.

And I always hope that there be more functionality with some of the Caps, say:

1. all the colony caps can spread the culture, if they select the colonize skills. Since they can load so many people on board, it's reasonable for them;
2. all the siege caps can repel the hostile culture in hostile planets, and the repel rate is higher than the others. Their guns are more dreadful.
3. all the caps can improve the diplomatic relationships. Visits of naval forces are always big affairs for any countries.

But it seems it is hard to persuade the devs, haha.

Actually I do use them heavily in SP and love them but they are very easily undervalued:

- Missile swarm is one of those abilities that is underpowered for the first couple of levels and only pays off when maxed so first impression tends to be lousy and it takes a while to get worth the points.

- Assault spec really helps against structures when pacifiying the grav well and then the planet afterward but it's passive so isn't obvious just how much it's helping.

- Disintegration IMO rocks even at level 1 let alone 2 where it completely pays for itself but that only happens way up at level 6/8.

- Main weapon attack dmg reads a bit low because they are phase missiles which take time and research to really get effective and even when all done again that's passive so doesn't show up on the infocard.

Pretty much made for long SP games where they really shine at high levels.

Where the real power is that they stack so incredibly well with each other (maybe moreso than any other cap except Sova) that I always use them in at least pairs.  One ship throwing out PMS isn't bad if maxed, but two really seem to have quite a bit more than double the punch and three is where it just gets rude.  They also make for a lot of the easiest lvl 10 titan battles I've had since multiple disintegrates at the same time stack perfectly and reduce a massive AM reserve very quickly while doing nice damage - really nice dmg with basic vasari debuffs on target.

Exactly. Despite also having the stupidest voice. But i also use it as a handy aid in planet bombing before my fleet cap can support siege frigates.

Hey ... I like the voice!

Someone is going to have a siege laser destroy his house tomorrow.

I find its a nice first cap for expanding and taking out early fleets, the missiles are nice. But I think mainly I choose it because it looks awesome.

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 14

Someone is going to have a siege laser destroy his house tomorrow.

That's fine with me as long as he says "Give me something to destroy!!!!"

Uh oh!

But i have always said that it's prettiest ship in the game. Certainly that helps some?

You are one after my own heart. Though i always divided my love between Vulkoras and Kortul, later Orkulus and now i would add Vorastra as well to them. These are IMHO best Vasari design and i hope, if there is ever Sins 2, they will be all kept, just given more polygons and details.

The vulkoras is my fave cap ship of the vasari, not only does it look badass if used right its deadly. With assault specialization and the siege cannon its great for taking down planets quickly, also with the pinpoint bombardment research complete you can bomb any planets practically from the edge of their grav wells. Its also a fairly decent anti ship platform as well, especially at level 6. If you want to rush an nearby enemy capital early game, you can have the vulk upgraded with the siege cannon and have it deploy them while it defends itself from attacks, it also adds extra targets that the ai has to deal with making the vulk last longer and inflict more damage. When supported this thing is a beast.

Thanks for the reply!

But does it really match the Scramble Bombers? That's what I really care.

And the other question, which is more effective, the Assault Spec or the Assault Nanite Swarm of Rankulas? At least my first impression says the latter is better, at least I can leave them attack the hangers / media center while my fleet is dealing with the enemy fleet. But I am not sure about this.

But it's a single target skill. Does it really help in the end game phase?

Disintegration is vampiric and when under focus fire, you want as much health regen as you can get.  If you're sucking that regen out of an enemy, all the better.

The thing can match the durability of a Kortul with it, though it is more vulnerable to antimatter draining and other antiability techniques, because of its longer cooldown.

I have not used the new assault nanite swarms because compared to the combat and support swarms they're too situational. But Assault Specialization is passive so it doesn't rely on antimatter and helps with bombardment, so over all I think its a better ability, though a maxed out assault swarm is probably better if you want the fastest way to clear out structures and starbases.