shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Armed Merchant Cruiser III vs Heavy Battleship Frame IV
Comparing the Armed Merchant Cruiser III (Tier 3) and Heavy Battleship Frame IV (Tier 4), both shipbuilding technologies in Starforge MMO. Use this to decide which to queue first when your research lab can only run one project at a time.
Research Comparison
| Attribute | Armed Merchant Cruiser III | Heavy Battleship Frame IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T4 |
| Research time | 6▼ | 8 |
| metal cost | 6,000▼ | 12,000 |
| crystal cost | 3,600▼ | 7,200 |
| antimatter cost | — | 200▼ |
| Effect | unlock ship: merchant-galleon | unlock ship: kraken-battleship |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Armed Merchant Cruiser III
Unlocks construction of the merchant-galleon (cruiser class).
Unlocks ships: merchant galleon
Heavy Battleship Frame IV
Unlocks construction of the kraken-battleship (battleship class).
Unlocks ships: kraken battleship
Which Should You Research First?
The Armed Merchant Cruiser III is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the shipbuilding branch, opening the path toward Heavy Battleship Frame IV.