Mastering fleet management in Starminer is the key to scaling your operation from a lone vessel to an automated industrial empire. The entire system hinges on designating a flagship, assigning other ships to follow it using the Fleet menu (default 'N' key), and then issuing commands to the group through the flagship. This transforms your disparate ships into a coordinated force capable of mining, hauling, and fighting with minimal direct input, letting you focus on the bigger picture.
This deep-dive guide covers everything from forming your first group to deploying advanced, multi-role fleets that will strip entire sectors bare and fend off any pirate foolish enough to interfere.
What is a Fleet and Why Do You Need One?
A fleet in Starminer is simply a group of ships operating under the command of a single lead vessel, the flagship. You can be piloting the flagship yourself, or you can assign an AI-controlled ship to the role and give it orders remotely (within signal range). The purpose isn't just to have ships follow you around; it's about automation and force multiplication.
Consider a basic mining operation. A single mining ship must stop its laser to haul ore back to a refinery. This is wildly inefficient. A simple fleet consisting of two dedicated mining ships and one larger hauler, all commanded by the hauler, can work continuously. The miners mine, and when their holds are full, they automatically dock with the hauler to offload. The hauler, in turn, can be set to automatically ferry the resources to a station. You've just created a production line that works while you're off exploring or designing your next vessel.
The core benefits are:
- Automation: Set up a mining or patrol fleet and it will execute its task until its orders are changed or it runs out of resources.
- Specialization: Build ships for one purpose—mining, combat, hauling, repairing—and combine them into a unit that is greater than the sum of its parts.
- Force Multiplication: A single combat frigate is a nuisance. A wolfpack of five frigates, all focusing fire on the same target at your command, can take down ships far larger than themselves.
Forming Your First Fleet: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating a fleet is a straightforward process handled entirely through the Fleet menu. Let's walk through creating a basic escort for your personal ship.
Step 1: Designate the Flagship
The flagship is the brain of the operation. All commands are issued to the flagship, which then relays them to its subordinates. If you are piloting your own ship, it is the default flagship for any fleet you create around it.
To create an AI-led fleet, you must first select the ship you want to lead. Approach the ship and open your build menu, or select it from your ship list in the 'N' menu. There will be an option to 'Create Fleet' or 'Designate as Flagship'. This vessel now becomes the anchor point for all other ships.
Step 2: Assign Follower Ships
With a flagship selected, you can now assign other ships to its command. You have two primary ways to do this:
- From the Fleet Menu ('N'): Open the menu and you will see a list of all your owned ships. You can simply drag and drop the icon for a ship onto the icon for your designated flagship. A line will appear, linking them visually and confirming the command structure.
- Via Direct Interaction: Approach a ship you want to add to the fleet. Access its command menu (usually by holding 'F' while looking at it) and select 'Assign to Fleet,' then choose the target flagship from the resulting list.
You can assign multiple ships to a single flagship. These ships will now appear indented under the flagship in the fleet list, showing their subordinate status.
Step 3: Verifying and Disbanding
Always double-check your fleet structure in the 'N' menu. You should see a clear hierarchy with one flagship and one or more subordinates. To remove a ship from a fleet, simply drag it out of the flagship's group in the menu or use the 'Remove from Fleet' command. If you transfer the flagship to a station or deconstruct it, the fleet will dissolve, and all subordinate ships will revert to an idle state.
The Complete List of Fleet Commands
Once your fleet is formed, you can issue a variety of commands to the flagship, which will then be executed by all subordinate ships according to their roles and AI settings. You issue these commands by selecting the flagship and using its radial command menu.
| Command | Function | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Follow | The most basic command. Subordinates will maintain formation with the flagship, matching its speed and heading. | Keeping your fleet together during travel. |
| Escort | Ships will actively protect the flagship, creating a defensive perimeter and automatically engaging any hostile targets that enter a predefined range. | Protecting valuable assets like haulers or your personal ship. |
| Mine Sector | Orders all ships equipped with mining lasers to begin harvesting asteroids within a designated cylindrical area. | The core of automated resource gathering. |
| Patrol | Sets the fleet to move between two or more designated points, scanning for and engaging enemies along the way. | Securing a region or hunting for pirates. |
| Attack Target | All combat-capable ships in the fleet will converge and focus fire on a single enemy vessel you designate. | Quickly eliminating high-priority threats. |
| Dock | Commands ships to dock with a specific friendly station, a hangar on the flagship, or another designated vessel. | Repairing, rearming, and transferring cargo. |
The most powerful commands are Mine Sector and Escort. Combining these allows you to create a self-sufficient, self-defending mining operation that can be left to run for hours.
Starminer in-game screenshot
Advanced Fleet Tactics and Ship Composition
Once you've mastered the basics, you can start designing fleets for specific, high-level tasks. This is where Starminer's sandbox truly opens up. The key is to stop thinking about individual ships and start thinking about combined-arms roles.
The Carrier-and-Drones Strategy
Build a large capital ship with extensive hangar bays and resource storage. This is your carrier. Its job is not to fight or mine directly, but to support a swarm of smaller, cheaper, and more agile drones. These drones can be specialized: some for mining, some as light interceptors. You can command the entire swarm through the carrier. If a mining drone's hold is full, it docks with the carrier to unload. If an enemy appears, you can launch your interceptor drones to deal with it. This is an endgame strategy that requires significant resources but offers unparalleled efficiency and flexibility.
The Wolfpack: Combat Patrols
Instead of one large, expensive battleship, consider a fleet of 4-6 smaller, faster combat frigates. While individually fragile, their combined firepower, when focused using the 'Attack Target' command, can overwhelm much larger foes. Their speed also makes them ideal for pirate hunting and rapid response. Set them to 'Patrol' a key system, and they become an effective automated security force.
The Industrial Conglomerate: Mining and Hauling Chains
This is an expansion of the basic mining fleet. Designate a central, stationary hauler or a small, anchored station as the 'flagship'. Assign multiple mining fleets to work different asteroid fields in the sector. Then, create a separate fleet of dedicated transport ships whose only job is to 'Follow' a route between the mining fleets and your main refinery. One transport picks up ore from Mining Fleet A, another from Fleet B, creating a constant, automated flow of resources back to your base. This is the path to true industrial domination.
Starminer in-game screenshot
Managing Your Fleet's AI and Behavior
Issuing commands is only half the battle. To get the most out of your fleet, you need to fine-tune the AI behavior of each subordinate ship. You can access these settings by selecting an individual ship within the Fleet menu.
Key settings include:
- Stance: This determines the ship's rules of engagement.
- Passive: The ship will not fire unless explicitly ordered to attack a target. It will not retaliate if fired upon.
- Defensive: The ship will only engage enemies that attack it or another member of its fleet first.
- Aggressive: The ship will engage any hostile vessel that comes within its weapon range. Be careful with this setting, as it can cause your ships to chase enemies and break formation.
- Engagement Range: A simple slider that dictates how far a ship will pursue a target before it gives up and returns to its primary task. Keep this relatively short for miners and long for dedicated interceptors.
- Resource Sharing: When enabled, ships in a fleet can automatically draw ammunition, fuel, and repair nanites from the flagship's supply, provided they are close enough. This is arguably the most critical setting for long-term deployments. An escort frigate without this enabled will quickly become useless once its ammo stores are depleted.
Starminer in-game screenshot
Fleet Management FAQ
Q: How do I merge ships in Starminer?
A: The term 'merging' is a bit of a misnomer. You cannot permanently fuse two separate ships into one. Fleet management is about grouping independent ships under a single command structure. You can, however, use the Dock command to have smaller ships physically attach to a larger one.
Q: What is the maximum fleet size?
A: There is no hard-coded limit to the number of ships you can have in a single fleet. However, performance may start to degrade with dozens of ships, and the command interface can become cluttered. More importantly, your ability to supply the fleet with fuel and ammo will be the practical limiting factor.
Q: Can I command a fleet remotely?
A: Yes. As long as you are within the signal range of the fleet's flagship, you can issue it commands from your own ship or from a station terminal. Upgrading the communications array on your flagships is essential for managing large, sector-spanning operations.
Q: How does resource sharing work exactly?
A: When Resource Sharing is enabled, a subordinate ship that is running low on a resource (like turret ammo) will automatically request it from the flagship. If the flagship has that resource in its cargo and the subordinate is within a certain proximity, the transfer happens wirelessly. This is why it's vital for flagships, especially carriers, to have large cargo holds stocked with essentials.
The Final Take
Effective fleet management is the single most important skill for any serious Starminer player. It's the system that allows you to break free from the cockpit of a single ship and become the strategic commander of a vast, automated enterprise. Start small with a simple miner-escort pair, learn the commands, and soon you'll be orchestrating complex supply chains and combat patrols that span entire star systems. The only limit is your ambition and design skill.