Combat Guide
Combat in Planets TEOS is deterministic — there’s no random chance. If you know the numbers, you can calculate the exact outcome before firing a shot.
Combat Overview
Combat is turn-based ship-to-ship engagement. Each turn, both sides deal damage simultaneously. Combat continues until one side is destroyed or flees.
Damage Calculation
Your effective damage per turn is:
Effective Damage = Fighters × (Fighting Odds / 100)For example, a ship with 1,000 fighters and 50 fighting odds deals:
- 1,000 × (50/100) = 500 effective damage per turn
Damage Resolution Order
- Torpedoes fire first — each torpedo destroys 100 defenses (shields first, then fighters)
- Effective fighter damage hits shields — removes shields at 1:1 ratio
- Once shields are gone, fighters fight fighters — both sides lose fighters each turn
- Zero shields + zero fighters = ship destroyed
Fighting Odds by Ship
Fighting odds is the most important combat stat. Higher odds means each fighter hits harder:
| Ship | Fighting Odds | Effective Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| BantamLightweight | 70 | 1.4x |
| Quietus | 65 | 1.3x |
| MayhemMaster | 60 | 1.2x |
| ACCOLADE | 55 | 1.1x |
| APOCALYPSE | 55 | 1.1x |
| Prophecy | 55 | 1.1x |
| ThrustMaster | 50 | 1.0x |
| Reconnoiter | 50 | 1.0x |
| Mauler | 50 | 1.0x |
| LEXOR | 50 | 1.0x |
| Sentinel | 45 | 0.9x |
| Nognut | 45 | 0.9x |
| Revelation | 45 | 0.9x |
| Garbage Scow | 35 | 0.7x |
| MaxiPort | 35 | 0.7x |
| Ardent Supplier | 35 | 0.7x |
Fighters and Shields
Fighter Drones ($199 each) are your primary offense and defense. They deal damage and absorb incoming damage once your shields are depleted.
Shield Batteries ($114 each) are your first line of defense. They absorb damage before your fighters take hits. Shields are a buffer — once gone, your fighters are exposed.
Key difference: Shields only absorb damage. Fighters both deal and absorb damage. A balanced loadout of both is ideal.
| Ship | Max Fighters | Max Shields |
|---|---|---|
| ACCOLADE | 1,000,000 | 100,000 |
| APOCALYPSE | 1,000,000 | 100,000 |
| Mauler | 250,000 | 15,000 |
| Prophecy | 200,000 | 10,000 |
| LEXOR | 150,000 | 10,000 |
| Nognut | 100,000 | 10,000 |
| Reconnoiter | 30,000 | 1,000 |
| Revelation | 20,000 | 5,000 |
Torpedoes
Torpedoes are high-damage consumable weapons. Each torpedo destroys 100 defenses — shields first, then fighters.
- Cost: $5,000 per torpedo
- Available at: Earth and Norhaven (torpedo loading bays)
- Limited by: Ship’s torpedo bay count (0-10 bays)
Torpedoes are devastating in the opening round. A ship with 10 torpedo bays fires 10 torpedoes = 1,000 defenses destroyed before regular combat even begins.
Best torpedo ships: Quietus (10 bays), ACCOLADE (10), APOCALYPSE (10), MayhemMaster (6), Prophecy (6)
NPC Encounters
There’s a 25% chance of encountering an NPC each time you warp. NPCs are AI-controlled ships with unique captains, dialogue, and combat stats.
NPC Difficulty Scaling
NPCs are weighted to match your ship tier:
- Ships in your cost tier appear most frequently (weight 3)
- Ships in adjacent tiers appear sometimes (weight 2)
- Ships in distant tiers appear rarely (weight 1)
This means as you upgrade, you’ll face tougher NPCs — but you’ll rarely encounter an endgame NPC in a Garbage Scow.
NPC Stats
NPCs spawn with 50% of their ship type’s maximum stats — so an NPC in a Mauler (max 250,000 fighters) will have ~125,000 fighters.
NPC Factions
- Freelance NPCs attack everyone
- Alliance NPCs skip Alliance players
- Maraken NPCs skip Maraken players
Joining a faction reduces your NPC encounter pool, making travel safer.
PvP Combat
Online PvP
When both players are online, combat is interactive — each player takes turns choosing to attack, flee, or use items. Both sides deal damage simultaneously each round.
Offline PvP
You can attack players who are offline. Offline PvP is one-sided — you fire on the defender’s static defenses with no retaliation. If you have sufficient firepower, you destroy their ship.
This is why cloaking before logging off is critical — if enemies can’t find you, they can’t attack you.
Ship Destruction
When your ship is destroyed:
- You restart with a Garbage Scow (the starting ship)
- You keep 50% of credits on-hand
- Your bank balance is untouched
- All cargo, fighters, shields, torpedoes, and equipment are lost
- Conquered planets are NOT lost — you keep ownership
Equipment: Buying Fighters, Shields, Torpedoes
| Equipment | Base Price | Where to Buy | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter Drones | $199 | Any trade shop (item 15) | Ship’s max fighters |
| Shield Batteries | $114 | Any trade shop (item 1) | Ship’s max shields |
| Torpedoes | $5,000 | Earth, Norhaven | Ship’s torpedo bays |
Important: You cannot sell back fighters, shields, or torpedoes. Military investment is permanent — plan your purchases carefully.
Combat Tips
- Know your numbers. Combat is deterministic. Calculate the outcome before engaging.
- Torpedoes first. Load up on torpedoes before a big fight — they give a massive opening advantage.
- Shields are a buffer. Don’t neglect shields — they protect your fighters from being depleted.
- Avoid fights you can’t win. If the math doesn’t work, don’t engage. Flee or cloak.
- Bank before battle. Your bank balance is safe. Credits on-hand are at risk.
- Offline PvP is ruthless. Always cloak before logging off, or park at a safe faction homeworld.