Commander field guide

How to Play Astera Online

Build a productive capital before you expose a valuable fleet. This guide follows the order a new commander can use during the first day.

Your first 24 hours are protected. Other commanders cannot attack you during this period. Launching an attack against a player ends the shield early; mining, construction, research, scouting, and pirate combat do not.

  1. 1. Grow the Core and your mines

    Open your planet and choose Production. The Command Core supports the capital while Alloy, Crystal, and Deuterium mines supply everything you build. Early resources are usually worth more when invested in steady production than when left idle in storage.

    Alloy pays for much of the basic infrastructure and fleet. Crystal becomes central to research and advanced technology. Deuterium is scarcer and supports later research, propulsion, and high-level fleet decisions.

  2. 2. Build a Prospector and mine meteors

    Open the Fleet section on your planet and build a Prospector when you can afford one without stopping production. Select a meteor on the galaxy map and send the craft to mine it. A working Prospector adds resources while your buildings and research continue on their own timers.

  3. 3. Develop the Hangar and Shipyard

    The Hangar determines how much fleet capacity you can maintain. The Shipyard supports ship construction. Check both requirements before saving for a new hull: unlocking a ship is useful only when you also have room and resources to build it.

  4. 4. Assemble a balanced first fleet

    Compare attack, durability, cargo, speed, price, and the Hangar space each ship uses. A force built only around attack may win a comparison and still return with losses. Cargo also matters because a fleet that cannot carry its possible loot leaves value behind.

  5. 5. Keep research moving

    Research unlocks systems and improves the economy and fleet. Some ships and actions require specific projects. Avoid spending every resource on a single research path: production, technology, and the working fleet support each other, and neglecting one makes the other two slower.

  6. 6. Challenge pirates with a plan

    Pirates appear as targets on the galaxy map. A victory can bring resources and, in some encounters, ships. Pirate combat still destroys real fleet strength. Compare the target with what you can replace, send enough cargo capacity, and leave a reserve at home when losing the entire mission would stop your economy.

  7. 7. Scout before fighting commanders

    Telescopes help you observe nearby space. To learn the specific resources and defences on another planet, select that world and send a probe. Information changes over time, so use a recent report and include travel time in the decision. Starting the attack ends your first-day protection.

  8. 8. Colonise and defend deliberately

    Colonies add production and reach, but every new world also needs attention. The Store protects part of a planet's resources and Aegis supports its shield; ground defences add another layer. Expand when the capital can fund the new colony without leaving every world exposed.

A useful first-day rhythm: improve production, keep the Prospector active, start one valuable research project, inspect the map, and build only the fleet you can replace. Return regularly rather than leaving full storage and idle mission slots.