Combat
Nova Rift uses a two-phase combat system with simultaneous damage, splash distribution, and electronic warfare effects from ship modules.
Two-Phase Combat
Phase 1: Space
All space units fight first. Units sorted by range (lowest = tanks, targeted first). Simultaneous damage each round with splash distribution.
Phase 2: Ground
After space phase resolves, drone units fight. The space phase winner gets a 1.25x damage bonus in the drone phase.
Damage Mechanics
Attacker gets a 5% damage bonus
10% of damage bypasses defense entirely
90% of casualties are injured (healable), 10% are killed permanently
Space phase winner gets 25% more damage in drone phase
Combat ends after 20 rounds if neither side is eliminated
Splash Damage
Damage is distributed across multiple enemy unit types via splash. Front-line units (lowest range) take the most damage.
Normal Splash
With Targeting Computer
Electronic Warfare
ECM Suite
30% chance per module per round to jam one random enemy unit type. Jammed units deal 0 damage for that round.
Stacking: Multiple ECM modules stack — each gets an independent 30% roll.
Shield Generator
Absorbs 20% of total fleet HP as damage per generator. Lasts 3 combat rounds.
Stacking: Multiple generators multiply absorption. 2 generators = 40% of total HP absorbed.
Targeting Computer
Wider splash damage distribution, hitting more enemy unit types for more damage.
Stacking: Binary effect — having at least one activates the wider splash table.
Repair Nanites
5% of original unit count restored each round after damage. Cannot exceed starting numbers.
Stacking: Multiple modules on different ships each heal their respective unit type.
Ship SpeedFleet speed = slowest unit
Space Units
| Unit | sec/tile |
|---|---|
| Probe | 10s |
| Interceptor | 12s |
| Observer Drone | 12s |
| Lancer | 14s |
| Trade Runner | 15s |
| Surveyor | 20s |
| Cruiser | 20s |
| Mining Barge | 25s |
| Dreadnought | 26s |
| Battleship | 28s |
| Titan | 30s |
Drone Units
| Unit | sec/tile |
|---|---|
| Seeker Drone | 15s |
| Spectre Drone | 16s |
| Wraith Drone | 18s |
| Recon Drone | 20s |
| Assault Drone | 20s |
| Sentinel Drone | 22s |
| Bastion Drone | 24s |
Unit Combat Stats
| Unit | Phase | ATK | DEF | HP | Range | Carry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recon Drone | DRONE | 10 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 120 |
| Sentinel Drone | DRONE | 4 | 9 | 30 | 1 | 100 |
| Wraith Drone | DRONE | 20 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 300 |
| Assault Drone | DRONE | 18 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 120 |
| Bastion Drone | DRONE | 8 | 15 | 50 | 1 | 100 |
| Spectre Drone | DRONE | 35 | 10 | 30 | 2 | 300 |
| Seeker Drone | DRONE | 15 | 8 | 20 | 3 | 150 |
| Surveyor | SPACE | 15 | 60 | 200 | 1 | 1,500 |
| Interceptor | SPACE | 360 | 80 | 120 | 2 | - |
| Lancer | SPACE | 600 | 120 | 180 | 2 | - |
| Cruiser | SPACE | 800 | 2,400 | 6,000 | 1 | - |
| Dreadnought | SPACE | 1,200 | 3,600 | 9,000 | 3 | - |
| Battleship | SPACE | 4,000 | 3,000 | 12,000 | 3 | - |
| Titan | SPACE | 6,000 | 4,500 | 18,000 | 5 | - |
| Mining Barge | SPACE | 20 | 500 | 2,000 | 1 | 5,000 |
| Trade Runner | SPACE | 50 | 200 | 800 | 1 | 3,000 |
| Probe | SPACE | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | - |
| Observer Drone | SPACE | 0 | 0 | 50 | 5 | - |
Fleet Composition Tips
Use Tanks
Low-range units (Guardians, Cruisers) are targeted first. They absorb damage while your high-range units deal damage safely behind them.
Balance Phases
Winning the space phase gives a 25% ground bonus. Bring both space and drone units to maximize your advantage.
ECM Disrupts
ECM Suites can jam enemy unit types for 0 damage rounds. Particularly effective against opponents with few unit types in their fleet.
Shield Early
Shield Generators only last 3 rounds. They are most valuable in battles that start with heavy alpha damage.
Speed Matters
Fleet speed equals the slowest unit. Mixing Titans (30s/tile) with Interceptors (12s/tile) means your whole fleet moves at 30s/tile.
Repair Nanites Shine in Long Fights
Against evenly matched opponents, Repair Nanites provide a compounding advantage over 20 rounds of combat.