So, in my latest Single-Player game, I have started playing with Advanced Hybrids. I have largely enjoyed the experience of playing with these turned on; to me, it adds quite a lot more tactics and strategy to the game (As if it didn't have enough, heh)
However, I seemed to have worked myself into a corner. I started in a section of 15 or so planets, which I have mostly subjugated and/or captured. The only exit out of my cluster of systems is straight through one of the incredibly heavily fortified worlds of the AI.
It would seem as if one of the AI types is a Fortress Baron, as this system has the 2nd Mark V fortress I have come across (The first one was a rather easy kill). However, it's not the Mark V fortress that alarms me; it's the overwhelming number of Hybrids present.
In this system, the opposition includes:
1500 ships
Mark V Fortress
Mark I Ion Cannon
...And a whopping 51 Hybrids.
It would seem as if I've left this system along for a bit longer than I probably should have. My tech levels aren't that great (All ships to mark II, Autocannon pods and Etherjets for my bonus ships), save for starships. The system wouldn't that terribly difficult to conquer, as I've faced many worse systems in the past. However, 51 Hybrids is a bit daunting, especially considering they are all crowding around the fortress, making a coordinated bomber run a no-go, and sending escorts near the fortress is also suicidal. The Ion Cannon is also in this cluster and must be considered.
So, I'm not entirely certain how to take down this planet, as it's the only way out of this cluster of planets I am currently residing in. I have one idea, but I'm not sure if it will work. My goal for this thread is to get feedback on my idea, and to see if anyone else has any suggestions on how to deal with this system.
Battle plan:
Hybrids have drone ships under their command. As many hybrids as there are in the system, chances are that most of those 1500 ships belong to the Hybrid ships there. The idea is to strike the hybrid cluster with a warhead strike to attempt to kill off enough of the Hybrids' drones so that they have to go to a Drone Resupply, having to leave the system in order to do so. Sine their drones would follow, this would leave the fortress, Ion cannon, and much of the system less defended, providing a small window in which I can defeat the fortress and Ion cannon and most of the guards, and then wait until the Hybrids return to face them alone.
Not entirely certain if that'll work, though... Any insight is appreciated. I'd like to avoid Nuking the system, as I'm very stingy with my AI Progress.
