Attack Restrictions and Protections

An attack must target a valid, unprotected target within the applicable point range.

The protection ratio is x3 in PVP and x3 for PVE interactions with the Errants. A ratio exactly equal to the limit remains allowed; an attack is refused only when the point spread strictly exceeds that limit.

An attack can therefore be refused if the target is:

• too strong for the limit in that context;
• too weak for the limit in that context.

In PVP, the same restriction also blocks Espionage by probe or drone.

An attack cannot target the source planet itself. Another planet belonging to the same player may be targeted if the mission is otherwise valid. These eligibility rules are distinct from the pre-combat protection that may remove a fleet docked at the target (see Pre-combat protection for a docked fleet).

The normal limit is 3 attacks per UTC day against the same player within a 3-day window, for up to 9 attacks, followed by up to 2 days of truce.

This limit includes:

• fleet attacks;
• attacks via Pillars.

The first attack that is not canceled opens a cycle covering the UTC calendar days J, J+1, and J+2. Attack days do not have to be consecutive: a day without an attack remains available until it ends.

A new cycle becomes possible after two full calendar days without an attack following the last attack that was not canceled:

• attack on day 20 only: days 21 and 22 remain available, then a new cycle can begin on day 23;
• attacks on days 20 and 21: truce on day 23, attacks resume on day 24;
• attacks on days 20 and 22: truce on days 23 and 24, attacks resume on day 25.

The truce is individual and directional: a cycle from A to B does not affect a cycle from B to A or a cycle from another player to B. A normally attackable target appears in purple with a shield during its truce. A strong target remains red, and a weak target remains green.

There is also a specific limit: at most 1 Pillar attack per day against the same planet.

Canceled attacks do not count and may cause a truce to disappear after recalculation. Espionage does not count as an attack.

An attack can be blocked by system protection, a points rule, or a diplomatic rule.

The main reasons an attack may be blocked are:

• target not found or invalid;
• target in vacation mode, banned, frozen, or protected;
• target under temporary universe protection applied by the administration;
• target technically linked to the player;
• strong or weak protection limit exceeded under the applicable point limits (see Targets and Point Spreads);
• an active total pact;
• truce after a pact is broken;
• general truce;
• an active Pillars’ Force Field on the target planet, if the attacking Pillar Virus is at a level less than or equal to the current level of the defending Pillars’ Force Field;
• source planet identical to the target;
• Iris active for a ground attack (see Iris interception).

General Universe Truce

A universe's administration can set the general truce to disabled, manual, or scheduled. While a truce is active, new mission launches between two distinct human players are rejected for Attack, Espionage, and Piracy, by fleet or by Pillars depending on the mission. A scheduled period begins at its start time (inclusive) and ends at its end time (exclusive).

Missions already accepted retain their usual route, cost, and resolution. The general truce does not block PvE targets, the Errants, excavations, Vellambre Trading Posts, transports, deployments, exploration, recycling, or production. It is added to the other protections and does not change individual quotas.

The fleet triggers space combat. Pillars trigger ground combat.

A fleet attack:

• uses ships;
• follows a travel time;
• can loot using the cargo capacity of surviving ships;
• can create a Debris field.

An attack by Pillars:

• uses ground units;
• consumes Weave Resonators;
• can be refused at launch by the Pillars’ Force Field, then blocked by an Iris if admitted;
• can capture neutralized units from the defeated side (see Wounds and Captures) or carriers (see Carriers and Losses);
• does not create a Debris field (see Debris after Ground Combat).

Some restrictions are shared, but espionage remains distinct from an attack.

An espionage mission, like an attack, may be refused if the target is invalid, protected, prohibited, or outside the applicable point range; the checks are detailed in Protections That Block an Attack and Targets and Point Spreads.

The general truce described in Protections That Block an Attack also blocks new espionage missions between two distinct human players; it does not apply to Vellambre contacts.

Attacks and espionage also differ in their results:

• an attack triggers combat;
• espionage produces a report;
• espionage does not count toward the daily attack quota described in Attack Limits and Truces.