Not all threats in the galaxy sit still and wait to be found. Roving raider factions are organized groups that establish hidden dens in remote star systems, grow in power, and launch raid fleets against nearby colonies. They will communicate with you directly — demanding tribute, taunting you on arrival, and warning you as things escalate.
How Raids Work
Raider dens periodically launch raid fleets toward the nearest colonies. These fleets take roughly 10 turns to arrive regardless of distance, giving you time to prepare. When a raid fleet enters your system, it begins draining your resources. The longer you leave them, the worse it gets.
Escalation
Uncontested raiders escalate through five stages: Harassing, Raiding, Blockading, Sacking, and finally Occupying. Early stages drain credits and production. At blockade level, ship construction is halted. At sacking, they destroy your buildings. If left long enough, they capture a colony permanently.
Fighting Back
- Send a combat fleet to engage raiders at your colony or intercept them en route.
- Defeating a raid fleet earns credits and research as salvage rewards.
- Destroying the den itself yields larger rewards and stops future raids from that source.
- When you defeat raiders, their leaders will communicate their frustration or resignation directly.
- Crises will not spawn while you are actively dealing with a raider threat.
Defenses Matter
Raider fleets must defeat your star system defenses before they can loot or escalate. Defense platforms and garrison strength determine the outcome. A well-defended system can destroy a raid fleet outright. Damaged raiders loot less — their pillaging scales with surviving ships.
Occupation & Takeover
If raiders escalate to the final stage and overwhelm local resistance, they seize the colony permanently. A captured colony becomes raider territory — they use its population and resources to grow stronger, building new ships over time. Recapturing an occupied colony requires a military assault on the raider garrison.
Timing & Scaling
Raiders do not appear until turn 40, giving you time to build up. Their strength scales with the game — early raids are small frigate groups, while late-game dens field capital ships. Higher difficulty increases spawn rates and escalation speed.
The Six Factions
Each raider faction has its own backstory, personality, and combat style. The Voidstalkers strike with military precision. The Scrapborn overwhelm with numbers. The Crimson Syndicate treats raiding as business. The Broodswarm consumes everything in its path. The Iron Reavers are slow but devastating. The Phantom Fleet phases in and out like ghosts.