learn how to take advantage of the battle system. once you figure out a strategy that works, try to stick to it. just don't get caught with no dodge and your enemy on the red -- you'll surely get a barrage to the face.
my current strategy? kiting the enemy. my current ships' ranges are around 20k, well beyond the ship ranges of my current enemies in chapter 4 (i figure they're around 15k to 17k), so even if its only the primary weapons that are hitting them, i'm pretty much safe from counter attacks as long as i can stay out of range. it also helps me to have Ian as my first officer. Mr. Precise pumps up accuracy, so even if i fire around the fringe of my weapon's range, most of them land. of course, i can always duke it out with all weapons in range, but i've got smaller ships that hurt when i take a 5-ship volley. so i whittle them down, then maybe duke it out for some serious volleys.
and it pays to grind for better ships. it's a pain, but it'll get you through some tough spots to have better ships than to rely on combat skills. Elgava's boss fights will hurt you seriously. i mean it. XD
i only got as far as the big boss activating his ship's hyper laserbeam of death or whatever. after that, my destroyer and my crew turns into space debris. any tips, please?
