In Total Annihilation, one of five types of fighting units. The others are Kbot, Vehicle, Aircraft and Hovercraft. The ratings of 'heavy' or 'long' versus 'short' or 'medium' are not exact ratings: a heavily armored unit costing only 1000 metal cannot take as many hits as a unit costing 4000 metal (and the energy plays a part as well...).
The strategy that the computer seems to take most often is to build a large number of submarines. The torpedoes that submarines fire are indeed a more effective weapon than many of the other ships have, but the build cost is rather prohibitive in the early game stages. Cruisers and missile ships are good for long-range fighting; but while the cruiser has fairly tough armor, the missile ship must stay out of direct fire whenever possible. Yet despite superior size/armor, the sea battle is nearly always won with torpedoes from overwhelming numbers of submarines.
The Ships
The specific ship-type units are as follows:
Arm:
Advanced Construction Sub.
Description: n/a
Range: n/a
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Build rate: "250"
Sonar: "Very Small" radius
Weaponry: -none-
Can Build: Shipyard, advanced sonar, advanced torpedo launcher, underwater fusion plant, seaplane plant
Build Cost: 7568 Energy; 695 Metal
Speed: (not available)
Equivalent to (the same-name unit) of Core.
Archer.
Description: Anti-air ship
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Weaponry: flak shells, rockets
Build Cost: 17058 Energy; 1358 Metal
Speed: (not available)
Equivalent to Core's Shredder.
Colossus.
Description: Aircraft Carrier
Range: n/a
Armor: "Heavy"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Repair Rate: <unknown>
Radar: "Large" radius
Weaponry: -none-
Can Repair: Any aircraft
Build Cost: 11,257 Energy; 1,372 Metal
Speed: "2.3"
Equivalent to Core's Hive.
Conqueror.
Description: Cruiser
Range: "Long"
Armor: "Heavy"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Sonar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: Cannon, Depth Charges
Build Cost: 8,608 Energy; 1,719 Metal
Speed: "2.5"
Equivalent to Core's Executioner.
Construction Ship.
Description: n/a
Range: n/a
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Shipyard
Build rate: "125"
Weaponry: -none-
Can Build: Underwater metal extractor, underwater energy storage, underwater metal storage, floating metal maker, floating dragon's teeth, Defender N.S., shipyard, advanced shipyard, sonar, torpedo launcher, tidal generator
Build Cost: 2,130 Energy; 255 Metal
Speed: "2.1"
Equivalent to (the same-name unit) of Core.
Crusader.
Description: Destroyer
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Shipyard
Sonar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: Cannon, Depth Charges
Build Cost: 4,537 Energy; 898 Metal
Speed: "2.9"
Equivalent to Core's Enforcer.
Hulk.
Description: Transport ship
Range: n/a
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Shipyard
Weaponry: -none-
Build Cost: 4,639 Energy; 919 Metal
Speed: "1.9"
Equivalent to Core's Envoy.
Lurker.
Description: Submarine
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Shipyard
Sonar: "Small" radius
Weaponry: Torpedo
Build Cost: 3,724 Energy; 1,151 Metal
Speed: "2.1"
Equivalent to Core's Snake.
Millenium.
Description: Battleship
Range: "Long"
Armor: "Heavy"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Radar: -none-
Weaponry: Plasma shells
Build Cost: 20731 Energy; 4404 Metal
Speed: (not available)
Equivalent to Core's Warlord.
Ranger.
Description: Missile ship
Range: "Long"
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Radar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: Missile
Build Cost: 7,804 Energy; 2,348 Metal
Speed: "1"
Equivalent to Core's Missile Frigate.
Skeeter.
Description: Scout ship
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Shipyard
Weaponry: Missiles, Laser
Build Cost: 985 Energy; 100 Metal
Speed: "3.8"
Equivalent to Core's Searcher.
Core:
Advanced Construction Sub.
Description: n/a
Range: n/a
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Build rate: "250"
Sonar: "Small" radius
Weaponry: -none-
Can Build: Shipyard, advanced sonar, advanced torpedo launcher, underwater fusion plant, seaplane plant
Build Cost: 7911 Energy; 690 Metal
Speed: (not available)
Construction Ship.
Description: n/a
Range: n/a
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Shipyard
Build rate: "125"
Weaponry: -none-
Can Build: Underwater metal extractor, underwater energy storage, underwater metal storage, floating metal maker, floating dragon's teeth, Defender N.S., shipyard, advanced shipyard, sonar, torpedo launcher, tidal generator
Build Cost: 2,375 Energy; 260 Metal
Speed: "2.1"
Enforcer.
Description: Destroyer
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Shipyard
Sonar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: Cannon, Depth Charges
Build Cost: 4,505 Energy; 887 Metal
Speed: "2.93"
Envoy.
Description: Transport ship
Range: n/a
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Shipyard
Weaponry: -none-
Build Cost: 4,786 Energy; 887 Metal
Speed: "1.8"
Executioner.
Description: Cruiser
Range: "Long"
Armor: "Heavy"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Sonar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: Cannon, Depth Charges
Build Cost: 8,551 Energy; 1,724 Metal
Speed: "2.4"
Hive.
Description: Aircraft Carrier
Range: n/a
Armor: "Heavy"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Repair Rate: <unknown>
Radar: "Large" radius
Weaponry: -none-
Can Repair: Any aircraft
Build Cost: 11,715 Energy; 1,379 Metal
Speed: "2.3"
Leviathan.
Description: Battle Sub
Range: "Medium"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Sonar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: torpedo
Build Cost: 19940 Energy; 3850 Metal
Speed: (not available)
Missile Frigate.
Description: Missile ship
Range: "Long"
Armor: "Medium"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Radar: "Medium" radius
Weaponry: Missile
Build Cost: 7,628 Energy; 2,283 Metal
Speed: "0.9"
Searcher.
Description: Scout ship
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Shipyard
Weaponry: Missiles, Laser
Build Cost: 917 Energy; 95 Metal
Speed: "3.6"
Shredder.
Description: Anti-air ship
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Weaponry: flak shells, rockets
Build Cost: 17921 Energy; 1314 Metal
Speed: (not available)
Snake.
Description: Submarine
Range: "Medium"
Armor: "Light"
Requires: Shipyard
Sonar: "Small" radius
Weaponry: Torpedo
Build Cost: 3,902 Energy; 1,199 Metal
Speed: "2.05"
Warlord.
Description: Battleship
Range: "Long"
Armor: "Heavy"
Requires: Advanced Shipyard
Radar: -none-
Weaponry: Plasma shells, heavy laser
Build Cost: 19741 Energy; 4181 Metal
Speed: (not available)