Upgrade combinations for units

Cutlass
Purpose: a suicidal damage - dealer.

Required: (sell if it doesn't have this)
 * Cloak : required mod for cutlass, as it helps it to fire once and deal at least some damage as it is not intercept-able.

Good: Dependable: Weak: (probably sell) Best combination: Cloak + SD + engine - at least 36 damage per cutlass.
 * Shield A-B : not bad, allows to survive 1 shot from ordinary laser. For beam-builds it is very good, because cutlass can fire once more, maxing it overall damage. Also prevents damage from freeze/acid.
 * Self-destruct: good, maxes damage of a fighter, also good when combined with cloak.
 * Engine: makes cutlass annoying for an opponent.
 * Fire-rate: may increase damage output if you are facing a non-beam faction.
 * Range: as the ship range is short, extra range will not change anything
 * Armor: may allow cutlass to live longer for a second.
 * Regen: if cutlass was not killed but killed its target it can regenerate and come at full health.

Gladiators screwed: Shield a-b + cloak + engine c-e.

Fury
Purpose: a suicidal bomber.

Required:
 * Self-destruct: good, maxes damage out, also very good when combined with cloak.

Good: Dependable: Weak: Best combination: Cloak + SD + engine - maxes damage to 90(SD + fires once at least) and increase chance of dealing damage on death.
 * Cloak : increase chances of hitting target with sd ball.
 * Engine: increase chances of hitting target with sd ball.
 * Freeze: may freeze things on hit but decrease damage dealt.
 * Iridium/EMP: turns unit into a shield-killer, first one also increase damage.
 * Fusion: unit becomes very dangerous for unshielded targets.
 * Regen: fury dies after any hit, so there is nothing left to regenerate.
 * Armor: doesnt increase health at all.
 * Shield: It has 1 hp so shield will only add one hp and it will still die in one hit

Engineer
Purpose: light healer that support units and grants better survival.

Required:
 * Cloak: allows to survive until unit is needed, increasing heal dealt.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Possible combination: engine/firerate+cloak+regen/shield - such engineer can at least retreat if the ship it was healing is destroyed.
 * Engine: increase chances of healing someone.
 * Range: allows to defreeze and de-acid ships from bigger and safer distance.
 * Shield: Engineer is not a battle unit and meant to be a one-time defreezer/de-acider. Will die from 1 hit from laser on any shield.
 * Firerate: increase heal dealt. over time. Useless when facing beam faction.
 * Regen: may allow enginner to survive when facing non-beam weapons for a little longer. Also, if a capital it was healing was killed it has a bigger chance to retreat.
 * Armor: Due to low health armor upgrade is ineffective.
 * Self-destruct: due to a bug it will damage YOUR OWN units.

Gladiator
Purpose: mobile phalanx turret and fighter destroyer, gunmeat to protect mediums and capitals.

Required or sell:
 * Firerate: maxes out firing speed of phalanx turret that allows to destroy up to 10 bullets per second. This mod is not required if you use at least 1 Heatsink or Beam Doctrine.

Good: Bad: Combinations:
 * Cloak: allows to catch at least 1 bullet before being destroyed, also allows to kill at least 1 figter before death..
 * Shield A-B: allows to survive at least 1 shot from ordinary laser thus catching more bullets and overhelming laser defences in big numbers. Also Gladiator will win in a battle with rapier at any case.
 * Range: Allows to intercipate bullets and fighters from bigger distance.
 * Self-destruct: may increase damage dealt at lifetime, also may help to overhelm anti-bullet defences.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Engine: gladiator is meant to be a defender in first case, not an offender.
 * Regen: most projectives are destroyed before they reach gladiator and lasers will kill it instantly so there is mostly nothing to regenerate.

Plasma-build: SD+cloak+firerate/shield/engine/range.

Beam-build: cloak+range+shield.

Gunmeat: shield A-B+range/SD.

Hawk
Purpose: mobile low-power artillery.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Combinations:
 * Cloak: one of best upgrades because it fires seldom and from long range -> it can fire at least two times before death.
 * Firerate: increase damage dealt.
 * Self-destruct: may increase damage dealt at lifetime, also may help to overhelm anti-bullet defences.
 * Shield: allows to last a little longer, but mostly useless because it is an artillery-type ship.
 * Range: it will damage enemy while being out of interceptable range.
 * Freeze: allows to freeze most unshielded stuff without being hit.
 * Iridium/EMP: shield-remover. two such units will disarm and destroy a tactical shield.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Engine: radically dicrease damage dealt over lifetime.
 * Regen: This unit or fires at enemy from long range at full health or being quickly killed.

20% Range + 20% Range

Knight
Purpose: mostly a suicidal rocket-launcher.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Combinations:
 * Cloak: allows to shoot at least once.
 * Self-destruct: in most cases increases damage dealt of 1 fighter.
 * Firerate: greatly increase damage output during lifetime.
 * Freeze: Knight rushed fast allow him to freeze opponent base, if they rushed over the defensive line.
 * Shield: prevents freezing. increase survival
 * Engine: increase chances to hit something. makes it more suicidal.
 * Range: may increase damage dealt over lifetime.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Regen: due to its suicidal nature Knight dies before it can regenerate.

Mantis
Purpose: close range low-power bulletspammer.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Combinations:
 * Cloak: Allows to move in and take a few shots.
 * Self-destruct: makes it a cheap harrasment method.
 * Freeze: allows to freeze most unshielded stuff, also because of short range chance to freeze is bigger.
 * Shield: allows to last a little longer, but mostly useless because of a small health and small range.
 * Firerate: increase shooting speed, allowing to overhelm at least 1 phalanx.
 * Range: allows to deal damage from safe distance.
 * Engine: increase chances to hit target.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Regen: due to low range this unit is quickly killed, rendering regen useless.

Mobile freezer: freeze+cloak+engine - quickly moves towards a target, then freezes it and mostly dies. good for disarming nasty standalone capitals, Also meshes targeting of projective-based units because of an egine.

Miner
Purpose: mining.

Essential:
 * Fire-rate: increase metal output. Very good in some situations. You can get 3 of these for a great unit.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Combinations:
 * Cloak: Allows to move in and take a few shots. A key upgrade to survive on maps with little asteroids around or on long runs.
 * Self-destruct: makes it more useful - transforms miner into an early harrasment method. However it may backfire by damaging your own asteroids when it is mining if you are using plasma mastery tech.
 * Range: may be good in most situations - inreasing metal output, but may be bad, when you are facing a rapier-harraser in multi on some maps.
 * Regen: allows to survive early-game miner fights in multi ang bring more metal. Transforms miner into a meatshield.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Shield: allows to last a little longer, but mostly useless because of a small health and small range.
 * Engine: it is the worst thing to have on miner, because it cuts its metal production by 40% or more.

Mining standart: fire rate + fire-rate + fire rate.

Plasma harraser: sd + cloak + rof - move in and deal damage after mining.

Survivior: cloak + firerate + firerate - 2 such minerbays yields 5 metal/sec + 2 metal per miner created(mines enemy) + meshes aiming of projective-based ships.

Mosquito
Purpose: nasty structure destroyer.

Essential:
 * Cloak: Allows to move directly to enemy base and deal damage.

Good: Dependable:
 * Self-destruct: may increase its lifetime damage.
 * Engine: increase chances to hit target.
 * Range: allows to deal damage from safe distance. May be bad if the fight is too far from structures - will not hit structures.

Bad: Combinations:
 * Firerate: increase shooting speed, allowing to make 1 more shot sometimes.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Shield: allows to last a little longer, but mostly useless because of a small health.
 * Regen: due to its close range to turrets it is usually killed before it can regenerate.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd + engine.

Piranha
Purpose: a very basicbasic-basic fighter.

Good: Dependable:
 * Cloak: Allows to move directly to enemy and deal damage.
 * Self-destruct: makes piranha a very cheap garrasment method.
 * Freeze: cheap unit to harass with.
 * Range: usually increases lifetime damage.

Bad: Combinations:
 * Shield: allows to last a little longer, but mostly useless because of a small health.
 * Firerate: increase shooting speed, mostly useless.
 * Engine: increase chances to hit targe.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Regen: piranha is usually killed before it can regenerate.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd + engine - suicide bomber.

Freezer: freeze+cloak - a very cheap method to freeze some nasty capitals or bases (frozen stations don't generate energy)

Rapier
Purpose: strong anti-fighter.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Combinations:
 * Cloak: Allows to destroy at least 1 fighter, also makes a deadly surprise to miner-based enemies when miners are close to your base.
 * Self-destruct: makes it a harrasment method on multiplayer.
 * Range: increase its range of safetry and allows to kill more.
 * Fire-rate: increase its damage.
 * Engine: increase chances to hit target. Decreases lifetime.
 * Armor: any shield upgrade is better.
 * Shield: allows to last a little longer, but mostly useless because of a small health.
 * Regen: usually killed before it can regenerate.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd.

Anti-miner: range + cloak - destroys all miners it can reach in multiplayer.

Sapphire
Purpose: strong bulletspammer.

Good: Dependable: Combinations:
 * Cloak: always good for fighters to increase its lifetime.
 * Range: increase safe distance.
 * Fire-rate: increase its damage and number of progectives fired.
 * Shield A-B/regen/armor: allows to last up to two shots from laser.
 * Self-destruct: makes it a harrasment method on multiplayer, espesially if its launched from hangar.
 * Engine: if launched properly sapphire will circle around enemy base, dealing damage.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd.

Freezer: cloak+freeze - a dedly surprise to some turtles in multi.

Spectre
Purpose: walking wall, bulletspammer.

Good: Dependable: Bad: Combinations:
 * Fire-rate: increase its damage and number of progectives fired during lifetime.
 * Cloak: greatly increases lifetime.
 * Self-destruct: greatly increases damage.
 * Shield A/B: allows to last up to 3! shots from laser.
 * Regen: may regenerate if accidently hit by bullet. Useless agains lasers.
 * Engine: increase its chances to hit something. greatly decreases lifetime.
 * Range: may increase its damage output and increase lifetime.
 * Armor: bad, because cant reach 75 health to last more shots from laser.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd.

Freezer: cloak + freeze - a very good capital freezer.

Athena
Purpose: heavy structure bomber.

Required: Good: Dependable:
 * Cloak: fire at least once (total of 20*4*2 = 160 damage).
 * Fire-rate: may increase damage during lifetime.
 * Self-destruct: may increase damage by 160.
 * Shield : allows to last longer and fire twice in some cases.
 * Regen: may regenerate if accidently hit by bullet. Mostly useless if cloaked.
 * Engine: increase its chances to hit something.
 * Range: may increase its damage output and increase lifetime.

Combinations:
 * Armor: may increase lifetime.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd.

Sneak around and kill structures form behind base: cloak+ engine e, add shield for anti-freeze.

Corvette
Purpose: battle support, swarmer.

Required: Good: Dependable: Bad:
 * Sapphire/rapier/hawk hangar. makes biggest use of it. Mostly sell if not.
 * Cloak: fighters start cloaked.
 * Self-destruct: transforms into a suicidal bomber, but mostly useless because of phalanx.
 * Shield : allows to last longer.
 * Extra ships: doubles number of ships launched.
 * Range: may increase its damage output and increase lifetime.
 * Other hangar: only if you know what are you doing.
 * Firerate: may increase damage output.
 * Regen: may regenerate if accidently hit by bullet. Mostly useless - destroyed before it can regenerate.
 * Engine: decrease number of ships swarmed.

Combinations:
 * Armor: may increase lifetime.

Plasma harraser : cloak + sd + fury hangar.

Support freezer : sapp/hawk + freeze + extraships/shield.

Mofo demolisher: cloak + cutlass hangar + extraships - naval yard essential.

Long map epic stackage: cloak+ hawk

Cobra
Purpose: mass emp unit.

Required: Good: Dependable: Bad:
 * Absence of engine: or sell - greatly secreases lifetime and amount of shields removed.
 * Firerate: greatly increases shield removing power, leading to sheald disabling.
 * Shield : allows to last longer, exellent vs cloud faction.
 * Pbay : increase phalanx penetration chance.
 * Range: may increase its damage output and increase lifetime. mostly useless on short maps.
 * Self-destruct: deals more damage on long range than it can do with self-destruct.
 * Regen: may regenerate if accidently hit by bullet. Mostly useless - stays away from damage source.

Combinations:
 * Armor: may increase lifetime, but shield is better.

Mass EMP : rof + rof.

Anti-cloud: shield.

Freeze tornado: pbay+freeze rounds. Works on mediums and weak capitals.

Exhumer
Heavy miner.

Good combinations:

super exhumer + weak fighter defence: rof+rof+rof;

sd swarmer: sd + pbay + (optional)cloak;

Engine = sell it;

Spartan
Sniper med cruiser

Required:

Cloak- usually killed before it can get a shot in, assuming it doesn't have this.

Good upgrades:

ROF- again, with it's slow reload time, rof can drastically increase the number of shots it can get off.

Fighter bays- can act as a defensive screen, as well as taking out weaker units you don't want it to waste one of its prescious shots on.