Damage and Shields

Combat damage in Stellar Realms follows a layered structure:

1. Shield absorbs damage first 2. Remaining damage is applied to structural HP 3. If HP reaches zero, the unit is destroyed

Understanding this sequence is critical for fleet design and defensive planning.

Damage Resolution Order

Each attack cycle follows this logic:

1. Attacker selects a target (see Targeting and Priority). 2. Attacker deals its full attack value. 3. Target shield absorbs damage first. 4. Any remaining damage is applied to the target's HP. 5. If HP reaches zero, the unit is destroyed. 6. If Rapid Fire applies, a new target may be selected.

Shields always take damage before hull integrity.

Shields

Shields act as a temporary damage buffer.

Important characteristics:

Shields reset at the start of each combat round.
Shield value does not permanently decrease across rounds.
If shield value is greater than incoming damage, HP remains untouched.
If incoming damage exceeds shield, the overflow damages HP.

Example:

A ship has: Shield = 500 HP = 2000

Incoming attack = 800

Shield absorbs 500. Remaining 300 damages HP. New HP = 1700.

Structural HP

HP represents the physical durability of the unit.

Once HP reaches zero:

The unit is removed from battle.
Rapid Fire may trigger for the attacker.
Destroyed units do not regenerate during combat.

HP does not reset during battle.

Overkill Damage

If an attack deals more damage than a target’s remaining HP:

The excess damage is not transferred to another unit.
Damage is not shared between targets.
Each attack instance affects only one unit.

Example:

Target has 200 HP remaining. Incoming damage after shield = 1000.

Target is destroyed. 800 damage is lost.

This makes high attack ships less efficient against small swarm units unless Rapid Fire applies.

Shield vs High Burst Weapons

Large burst weapons are effective against:

Shield-heavy targets
Dome structures
Capital ships

However:

Small rapid units can overwhelm large weapons if shield cycling favors them.

Fleet balance depends on mixing shield-breaking and swarm control.

Shield Structures (Domes)

Planetary shield domes:

Provide large shield pools
Reset every combat round
Do not deal damage
Force attackers to commit sustained damage

Domes significantly increase required siege strength.

Defense Structure Interaction

Defenses follow the same damage rules:

Shields absorb first
HP absorbs overflow
Destruction removes the structure permanently from battle

Heavy defensive batteries often combine:

High shield
Moderate HP
Specialized Rapid Fire

Round-Based Reset Mechanics

At the start of each combat round:

All surviving units regenerate their shield value fully.
HP does not regenerate.
Destroyed units remain destroyed.

This makes sustained damage more important than isolated spikes.

Strategic Implications

1. Swarm fleets are shield-efficient but vulnerable to Rapid Fire. 2. High-burst ships counter shield stacking. 3. Domes require sustained siege pressure. 4. Mixed fleets reduce inefficiency from overkill. 5. Support ships survive longer due to priority layering.

Damage efficiency is not only about attack value. It is about interaction between shield, HP, targeting, and Rapid Fire.