So you’ve cracked open your shiny new Dropfleet Commander box — maybe it’s a sleek Core Ships set or a hulking Battleship. But then it hits you:
Wait… what exactly should I build?
Don't panic, I'm here to be your guide :-)
Step 1: Strategize
Start simple: look at what’s in your box. Then look at your existing fleet. Now ask yourself—what do you want this fleet to do?
There are three main archetypes to consider:
There are three main archetypes to consider:
- Defense – Ships equipped to survive direct assault,
- Offense – Pure firepower and aggression,
- Control – Board dominance through objectives and smart plays.
Think of your fleet as sitting somewhere within an Offense – Defense – Control triangle. Every ship leans toward one or two corners based on three key traits:
- Weapons
- Keywords
- Launch Assets
Let’s break each strategy down.
Offensive Fleets
The pew-pew path. Fast, cinematic, and fun.
Look for weapons that punch hard and early. Focus on:
Look for weapons that punch hard and early. Focus on:
- Range – High SCAN values mean you shoot sooner. Close Action weapons are risky but devastating up close.
- Arcs – Most high-power weapons use F or FN arcs, so you'll need good positioning.
- Volume of fire – More ATT = more chances to melt hulls.
- Consistent LOCK values – 2+ or 3+ = good. 4+ on a single die? Not so much.
- Killer Keywords – Reave-X (reduces saves), Critical-X (extra damage), etc. Every hit should hurt.
But guns alone won’t win the war — you’ll need survivability, which is where ship keywords come into play. You can’t punch if you’re dust (more about them in the Defensive Fleets part)
Then there's your launch assets — arguably the most important part:
- Torpedoes – Look for repeat-launchers without Limited-X. Great for sustained pressure.
- Bombers – These are your late-turn executioners. Launch them in swarms.
- Boarding Pods – Rare but potent. Damage, distraction, and even ship capture? Yes, please.
In short: stack powerful guns with strong launch assets to overwhelm your opponent across phases. Keep the pressure on.
Defensive Fleets
Please stay away from me.
You’re not here to win shootouts. You’re here to frustrate, outlast, and strike back with precision.
What to look for:
You’re not here to win shootouts. You’re here to frustrate, outlast, and strike back with precision.
What to look for:
- Flexible Ranges – it's best to have a range of weapons that attack from afar and in Close Action or even Bombardment.
- Wide Arcs – F/S, B, and F/S/R let you maneuver while always keeping guns on target.
- Volume of attack — Fusillade-X and Volley-X are your best bets with the range arcs.
- Ignore brute force – Your firepower won’t outgun a true brawler. That’s fine, you just want to deter them.
Instead, lean on survivability keywords:
- Aegis-X, Cloak-X, Descent – Evade, hide, or drop into the fight from orbit.
- Marines-X — if you cannot avoid being boarded, at least make it hard to hurt you.
- Escort – Protect your heavy ships with cheap bodyguards.
Special abilities, like the Holo-Debris Field from the PHR Agrippa battlecruiser, allow you to surprise the enemy and shield your fleet without getting into a direct shootout.
Terrain is your silent ally — use debris fields and micrometeors to screen your positions and force dangerous paths for enemies. Ships with Backup Saves love this because they can travel trough the fields with minimal damage.
Key launch assets:
Terrain is your silent ally — use debris fields and micrometeors to screen your positions and force dangerous paths for enemies. Ships with Backup Saves love this because they can travel trough the fields with minimal damage.
Key launch assets:
- Fighters – Anti-bomber screens and bonus Kinetic Saves. Don’t waste them early.
- Torpedoes – Area denial. Control space through threat, not damage. Many come with Corruptor-X keyword which is an additonal deterrent.
Control Fleets
Big-brain playstyle: avoid conflict, own the board.
This archetype is all about scoring objectives, controlling dropsites, and dictating the flow of the game — not chasing kill counts.
Weapons aren’t your focus, but if you have them, prioritize:
This archetype is all about scoring objectives, controlling dropsites, and dictating the flow of the game — not chasing kill counts.
Weapons aren’t your focus, but if you have them, prioritize:
- Bombardment – Essential for destroying city objectives from orbit or pesky ships in Orbit.
- Wide Arcs – F/S or B lets you engage opportunistically without having to go straight ahead at the enemy.
The stars of this fleet are your launch assets:
- Bulk Landers – Early-game dominance. One drop can win a site.
- Dropships – For space stations or cities.
- Drop Pods – Hit ground objectives aggressively.
- Boarding Pods – Disruptive, damaging, and great for scoring. Core damage bypasses most defenses and sticks around unless specifically countered.
- Bombers – Clear annoying enemy assets and objectives.
Faction speed, launch capacity, and asset variety make a huge difference here. Learn your strengths.
Summary
Before you glue a single hull together, ask:
“What role do I want this ship to play?”
Use the triangle Offense, Defense, or Control to guide your build choices and keep your fleet cohesive. You don't have to fully commit to one archetype! While most ships clearly fall into one of the categories, they can group together to fulfill specific roles.
In the next guide, I’ll walk you through how to rate ship options quickly, so you can spend less time crunching the numbers and more time dominating the void.