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"Homeworld 2 Remastered" Hiigaran Ships: Carrier

Navigation: Homeworld 2 > Hiigarans > Capitals > Carrier

The Hiigaran Carrier
Source: Homeworld 2 Remastered

The Hiigaran Carrier is meant to serve as a full fledged production platform capable of building and repairing fighters, corvettes and frigates along with Utility vessels. These ships supplement the Mothership's production capacity at a reasonable cost, while possessing far more mobility and ease of deployment.

Carriers can be used effectively as powerful mobile strike force additions, with their ability to not only build Hyperspace modules that allow both it and nearby Frigate and Capital sized ship[s to Hyperspace along with it, but take 10 wings of Fighters or Corvettes along for the ride within the Hiigaran Carrier's massive bays. These units are powerful in Multiplayer for their ability to quickly deploy attack wings and Hyperspace back out again to build new attack squadrons in safe locations, or directly on the front lines if you so choose.

As a back-up, the Carrier also mounts several point defense guns scattered about the Hull of the ship. These will do some good damage to straggling wings that might make it through your defensive lines, but should not be depended on to protect the ship against a full out attack, especially if Bombers are present, since they can easily disable the ship's subsystems.


Stats

Attack Rating: 40
Speed: 75
-> 90 - Level 1 Engines
-> 102 - Level 2 Engines
Hit Points: 80,000
-> 104,000 - Level 1 Hull
-> 128,000 - Level 2 Hull
RU Cost: 2800
Strong vs: None
Weak vs: Bombers, Capital Ships
Prerequisites: Capital Ship Facility
Tool-tip Description: Capital Class Production Ship.
Production Slots: 3
Module Slots: 2
Sensors Slots: 1


Research


Hull 1 

"Improves Carrier Hulls, allowing them to withstand more damage."

Both levels of armor upgrades grant a +30% boost to hit points from the base amount. Typically these upgrades are so-so, depending on how you use your Carriers to say whether or not these are necessary or not. While definitely worthwhile to a degree as a protection of your investment, especially considering their high cost, if you keep them far behind enemy lines and hidden most of the time, you can pass up on this. On the other hand, if you want to deploy your Carriers in the battlefield for quick transport of Fighters and Corvettes through Hyperspace, then definitely opt for this upgrade.

Prerequisites: Research Module and Capital Ship Facility.


Hull 2

"Improves Carrier Hulls to level 2."

This upgrade is a second +30% boost to HP from the base value of 80,000 up to 128,000 once you have both levels of hull upgrade researched. The use of this research item is pretty similar to level 1, being particularily more worthwhile if you want to deploy your Carriers offensively. This upgrade is more valuable in the campaign then multiplayer as well since the lack of local Hyperspace jumping means any of these ships that get ambushed will have to quickly construct defenders or wait for reinforcements to arrive via conventional drives. In addition, having this level of upgrade makes it far more viable to deploy these ships to advance locations like resource spots, possessing both Collector drop off points and production module slots to reinforce these positions locally.

Prerequisites: Advanced Research Module and Capital Ship Facility.


Engine 1

"Improves Carrier conventional drive systems."

Another upgrade that is far more valuable during the campaign for obvious reasons. The speed increase is +20% from the base value.

Prerequisites: Research Module and Capital Ship Facility.


Engine 2 

"Improves Carrier conventional drive systems to level 2."

The second level grants a further +16% boost to conventional drive speed from the base amount. At this level of engine speed, the Carrier can actually outrun a fully upgraded Battlecruiser, however the Destroyer will still be capable of chasing it down.

Prerequisites: Advanced Research Module and Capital Ship Facility.


Improved Manufacturing
"Improves construction speed by 30% on all Carriers."

If you are actively using these ships to build up your fleet, there is no reason to pass on this upgrade. The ability to out produce your enemy and claim new resource spots quickly will give you the definite upper-hand.

Prerequisites: Advanced Research Module and Capital Ship Facility.