Just so you know, defeating a 10/10 with a non-waver won't earn you a bug report unless the other AI is something like Extreme Raider or Scorched Earth. 
Oh really? 
kk. When I played against 9/9 AIs I found defensive AIs like Shield Ninny and Turtle harder than Attritioner for example.
Sometimes when I attacked a heavily defended planet I had to retreat because I would have lost all my ships. Then the AI sent all those ships and an EMP guardian and destroyed my planet. 
Maybe I was just a noob back then 
It's pretty easy to bait those defenders to come after you in smaller pieces if you're willing to spend a little time micro'ing. Use Raid SSs (or something equivalently fast) to 'buzz' the different towers. That'll get them flowing towards your planets. Park your fleet on the other side of the wormhole in AI space and just eat them piecemeal.
The reason no wave AIs are easier is because you completely control the pace of the game at that point, sans CPAs anyway. Even on a no waver/waver, you could (prior to .036 anyway) simply double your AIP gains and still have the same defenses. The second wave makes all the difference.
Usually: Resistance Fighters 4/10, Colony Rebellion 4/10, Dyson 4/10, Schizo waves. I play pretty vanilla, but also double waves (except for the Fallen Spire 8x HW 10/10 game, anyway).
Playing a relaxed game at 9/9 or 9.3/9.3 I'll run Golems Hard and occassionally Hybrids, depends on the AIs I'm playing. Right now I'm testing the balance changes Keith introduced off my suggestions so I'm pretty concentrated on just doing a 10/10 for the moment.
However, NRC 10/10, Roamers 2/10? Miners to boot along with Astro trains and Hybrids... AND the Avenger?
Holy crap. You're playing a 10/10 with all that on? Good luck man.
Traders I USED to use pretty heavily for boosts to the defenses. Then I started playing wicked tight AIP and their little 5 AIP here, 10 AIP there purchases nearly wrecked me out of a game at one point. When I did purchase from them I'd usually buy a diamond of items and build them out in this order:
Black Hole Generator (No running away and becoming threat on me)
Radar Jammer II (Saves all your mid-range batteries from Frigates + other LR ships)
Armor inhibitor (Just in case something annoying comes up.. you know, like H/Ks...)
Armor booster (this was more a nice to have than anything really useful... I would blow it up for resources occassionally).
Of all of those I'd really like BHGs to become standard stockpile for the player, or something equivalent with a lot less hp or something. Of course, that would also come under the 'makes it easy' suggestion pile...
