Every warship in Cosmic Starship can finish the campaign, but some are kinder to new pilots than others. This guide covers the ships you start with, the first ones worth buying, and how to choose by play style.
The ships you start with
StarshipHeavy launch carrierEarthforce
Morrow HiveHive shipVerdant Choir
VigilantMissile destroyerIron Mandate
Starship (heavy launch carrier): Rapid reuse · abilities recharge 15% faster. Morrow Hive (hive ship): Regenerating carapace · +7 hull/sec. Vigilant (missile destroyer): Quick engines · rapid attack cycle. The Starship is the default flagship and a forgiving carrier: its Full Stack Strike clears groups of fighters, and the wing it launches soaks fire for you.
The first ships to buy
These are the cheapest warships in the shipyard, in order of price:
- Falcon Heavy · 4,000 credits + 2 cores. Triple-core gunship, striker. Both side boosters detach as strike drones, strafe the field, then land back on your hull and repair it.
- Thorn Reaper · 6,300 credits + 4 cores. Bio-destroyer, striker. Corrosive spores damage every nearby enemy for eight seconds.
- Night Pilgrim · 7,200 credits + 4 cores. Phase cruiser, striker. Jump toward your last order. A shockwave hits enemies on arrival.
- Stiletto · 8,100 credits + 4 cores. Attack cruiser, striker. The ion beam sweeps: three beams fan out down your aim, 220 damage each, and fighters they cross go dark. Wide rather than deep; a big ship up close takes all three.
- Scarab · 9,000 credits + 6 cores. Strike bomber-cruiser, striker. Eight staff-cannon shells walk in a line down your aim, from the cursor onward, one after the other.
- Aster Prism · 9,900 credits + 8 cores. Shield ark, support. Restore shields and protect every ally for eight seconds.
Falcon Heavy is the usual first buy: it is fast, has the quickest boost recharge in the game, and its side boosters repair your hull when they land back on it.
Choosing by play style
If you like being in the thick of it: vanguards
Vanguards hold the line. Go in first, take the attention of the enemy capitals, and use the power where the enemy is thickest.
Warhulk, Monolith, Imperatrix, Bloodhammer, Grapplejaw, Tesseract, Requiem, Nautilus.
If you like hitting from far away: artillerys
Artillery wants range. Fight from the edge of your gun range, keep something between you and the enemy fighters, and spend the power on clumps of ships.
Obsidian Crown, Glass Oracle, Corona Throne, Bastion, Dawnblade, Lattice Spire, Magnetar, Shardcrown, Heliostat, Eclipse.
If you like a fleet that fights for you: carriers
Carriers win by numbers: keep the hull out of the thick of it, launch the wing early and let the extra fighters soak fire for your squads.
Starship, Morrow Hive, Wayfarer Ark, Tide Mother, Hollow Ark, Sun Pyramid, Sky Thane, Constellation.
If you like keeping everyone alive: supports
Support hulls make the whole fleet last longer. Stay near your squads, time the power for the moment a fight turns, and let escorts do the killing.
Aster Prism, Pathfinder, Rune Warden, Dawnwatch, Coralheart, Bloomlight, Sovereign, Lotus Throne, Lorekeeper.
If you like speed and burst damage: strikers
Strikers hit hard and move fast. Pick a target, close in, use the power and get out with a boost before the return fire lands.
Falcon Heavy, Thorn Reaper, Vigilant, Night Pilgrim, Stiletto, Lightwing, Scarab, Veilrunner, Riptide Serpent, Moonreaver.
Rail guns are the easiest to use
Rail shots land instantly at long range, so you hit what you aim at even while dodging. Ships with rail guns include Obsidian Crown, Glass Oracle, Monolith, Pathfinder, Bastion, Dawnblade, Sky Thane, Rune Warden. Bolts reward holding the trigger, plasma rewards focusing one target, and missiles reward finishing off damaged ships.
Remember that a hull grows with its upgrades: a fully upgraded starter ship beats a new ship with no upgrades. Upgrade the ship you enjoy before chasing the next one.