Sensor Phalanx

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Base Cost
Metal: 20.000
Crystal: 40.000
Deuterium: 20.000
Energy: 0

The Sensor Phalanx, only buildable on a moon, is one of the most useful buildings in the game. Using the Phalanx you can scan a planet for 5,000 deuterium. Fleets in flight towards the planet will be shown, together with their composition of ships and time of arrival (note that you don't see resources that fleets are carrying). This allows a player to send their fleet on an attack that is timed to arrive a few seconds after the target fleet gets back, leaving not enough time for it to be saved again. Note that moons cannot be scanned with a Sensor Phalanx due to their lack of atmosphere.

Sensor Phalanxes are also useful when attacking another player. When attacking another player, the person being attacked can see the attacking fleet coming in. Often, the person being attacked will "ninja" the attacker: move a sizable fleet to the target so that it arrives seconds before the attacking fleet, destroying it, and turning the attacker's fleet into debris. A Sensor Phalanx can be used by the attacker to see if the target is moving a fleet in an attempt to "ninja" the attacking fleet, and the attacker can then decide to call off the attack if need be.

Before moving your fleet to a new area, it is important to be aware of nearby moons. You can find out the ranges of other phalanxes by probing their moons. It should be noted that when another player sensor phalanxes you, there is no in-game message or any message at all notifying you. The only way you could tell that you have been sensor phalanxed is if you see an attacking fleet coming at you within seconds of your own fleet's return. Sensor phalanxes give information on the fleet's origin, size, where it is heading, how long it will take to get there, and when it will get back. If you only see a fleet that has already completed its mission, you won't be able to see the composition of the fleet. In this sense, it is possible to avoid sensor phalanxes by stationing your fleet on a moon, and then fleetsaving from the moon (e.g., to a debris field). As stated above, moons cannot be scanned; therefore, if a player has at least two moons, a fleetsave from one moon to another moon is the safest possible fleetsave and cannot be detected in any way.

CalculatorEdit

There is a level calculator available here

Level TableEdit

Level Cost Range
Metal Crystal Deuterium
1 20,000 40,000 20,000 1
2 40,000 80,000 40,000 3
3 80,000 160,000 80,000 8
4 160,000 320,000 160,000 15
5 320,000 640,000 320,000 24
6 640,000 1,280,000 640,000 35
7 1,280,000 2,560,000 1,280,000 48
8 2,560,000 5,120,000 2,560,000 63
9 5,120,000 10,240,000 5,120,000 80
10 10,240,000 20,480,000 10,240,000 99
11 20,480,000 40,960,000 20,480,000 120
12 40,960,000 81,920,000 40,960,000 143
13 81,920,000 163,840,000 81,920,000 168
14 163,840,000 327,680,000 163,840,000 195
15 327,680,000 655,360,000 327,680,000 224
16 655,360,000 1,310,720,000 655,360,000 255
17 1,310,720,000 2,621,440,000 1,310,720,000 288
Level Metal Crystal Deuterium Range
Cost

What a Sensor Phalanx Can SeeEdit

If you scan the target planet of the fleet

If you scan the home planet of the fleet

• Fleets coming home from any mission (except Recalled deployment)
• Fleets on a hold or expedition mission

What a Sensor Phalanx Cannot SeeEdit

If you scan the target planet:

• Fleets heading to the planet's DF from moon
• Fleets heading to the planet's moon
• Harvesting fleets launched from or returning to a moon

In short, you will see when a fleet is arriving at the target planet , whether that fleet is deployed to the target, attacking the target, or some mission from the target that will return the fleet to the target. The key is that a fleet will be making a stop at the target planet, whether it is the target of a mission or the origin of a round trip mission.

FormulaEdit

Phalanx range $= ( \text{Sensor Phalanx Level})^{2} - 1$

This range is the number of Solar Systems on both sides of your moon's coordinates that can be scanned.

(Note : With level 1 sensor phalanx, only the solar system containing the moon with the sensor on it can be scanned.)

Practical Upward LimitsEdit

You can scan every planet in an entire galaxy with a sensor Phalanx of level 16. However, your moon will need to be in the range of X:244:X - X:256:X. A Sensor Phalanx of level 23 will be able to scan the entire galaxy no matter where your moon is located.

Unfortunately, a level 16 Sensor Phalanx would need 655 million metal and deuterium, 1.31 billion crystal, and would take about 5 years and 7 months to build with a level 15 Robotic Factory. Building a level 23 Sensor Phalanx would need 83.8 billion metal and deuterium, 167.7 billion crystal and would take slightly more than 547 years to build with a level 20 Robot Factory.

In addition to this, one should keep in mind the cumulative costs and times of building a level 23 Sensor Phalanx with a level 20 Robot Factory. They are as follows:

• Metal: 167.772 billion
• Deuterium: 167.772 billion
• Crystal: 335.544 billion
• Time: 1094 years, 4 months and 27 days

The practical upward limit to the Sensor Phalanx is level 8. It takes 2.56 million metal and deuterium, 5.12 million crystal and can be built by a level 10 Robot Factory in just under 2 weeks (11 days).

A level 8 Sensor Phalanx would allow you to scan 63 systems to either side as well as the home system, giving you 127 systems to scan.

(In PRogame, Universe 35 the player Tallkido has achieved a level 10 Sensor Phalanx as stated on http://board.ogame.org/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=442095 )

(In OGame.ro, Universe 2, the player Draqshorul has achieved a level 10 Sensor Phalanx as seen here

(In OGame.ba, Universe 17 and 3 the players Rjecina and Don Thyrus have achieved a level 12 and 11 Sensor Phalanx (look senzofalanga) as stated on