A battle group is a group of one to five ships either spawning in HyperSpace or guarding a TrueSpace star system. The probability for the battle group to be composed of a single ship is 50%; for two ships, 25%; for three ships, 12.5%; for four ships, 6.25%; and for five ships, 3.125%. The following are exceptions to this rule: fourteen Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah Marauders or Ur-Quan Kzer-Za Dreadnoughts in the battle groups guarding Delta Crateris V, fourteen Orz Nemesis ships guarding Delta Vulpeculae II-C, always a single Slylandro Probe and always a single Melnorme Trader in their respective battle groups. A battle group is treated as a single entity (represented in HyperSpace as a black "spoor" and in TrueSpace as a single, non-rotating ship of the respective race) and the ships constituting it cannot separate. Colliding with a battle group will initiate an encounter. If the battle group is encountered in HyperSpace, the encounter will take place in TrueSpace, in an area called "Deep Space" — and if the encounter turns hostile, a planet will still be present for the battle.

Battle group behaviour

  • In HyperSpace, battle groups spawn randomly at most once a day and follow the Flagship. Notice that they simply head towards it, instead of heading a bit further to collide with it if it does not change course.
  • In TrueSpace, battle groups circle at different ranges around planets, switching randomly between them. Most battle groups can only be seen in the closest zoom level (focused on a planet), though they may randomly switch back to the main zoom level.

If the Flagship gets close enough to a TrueSpace battle group, regardless of whether they are friendly, neutral or hostile, all battle groups in the system will head on an intercept course with The Flagship — including those at different zoom levels. After the encounter is finished, they return to patrolling unless they are hostile.

There may not be battle groups pertaining to different species in a single star system, even if their Spheres of Influence overlap on that star system.

Battle group variables

Ship name Speed Encounter probability in TrueSpace Encounter probability in HyperSpace
Arilou Lalee'lay Skiff 40 0% 20%
Chmmr Avatar 27 0% 0%
Druuge Mauler 20 20% 30%
Earthling Cruiser 24 0% 0%
Ilwrath Avenger 25 60% 60%
Melnorme Trader 40 0%1 0%2
Mycon Podship 27 20% 40%
Orz Nemesis 40 20% 20%
Pkunk Fury 40 20% 40%
Shofixti Scout 35 0%3 0%
Slylandro Probe 60 5%4 2%
Spathi Eluder/Discriminator 48 10% 20%
Supox Blade 40 20% 40%
Syreen Penetrator 36 0% 0%
Thraddash Torch 28 20% 60%
Umgah Drone 18 20% 30%
Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah Marauder 30 40% 70%
Ur-Quan Kzer-Za Dreadnought 30 40% 70%
Ur-Quan Kzer-Za Security Drone 90 0%5 0%
Utwig Jugger 30 20% 40%
VUX Intruder 21 20% 40%
Yehat Terminator 30 40% 60%
Zoq-Fot-Pik Stinger 40 0%6 0%

Notes and references

1However, there is always one (and only one) Trader in any supergiant system.

2If The Captain uses a HyperWave Caster in HyperSpace, a Melnorme Trader will always appear.

3However, Tanaka (or, if The Captain kills him, Katana) is always present at Delta Gorno until he is given the Shofixti Maidens.

4The encounter probabilities with Probes, both in HyperSpace and in TrueSpace, increase gradually. See here.

5However, there is one orbiting Earth, which exits the screen and disappears after encounter.

6However, there is always one present at Rigel until The Captain encounters it.

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