shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Heavy Cruiser Armour III vs Solar Energy Barrage IV
Comparing the Heavy Cruiser Armour III (Tier 3) and Solar Energy Barrage 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 | Heavy Cruiser Armour III | Solar Energy Barrage 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: iron-fortress | unlock ship: nova-battleship |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Heavy Cruiser Armour III
Unlocks construction of the iron-fortress (cruiser class).
Unlocks ships: iron fortress
Solar Energy Barrage IV
Unlocks construction of the nova-battleship (battleship class).
Unlocks ships: nova battleship
Which Should You Research First?
The Heavy Cruiser Armour III is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the shipbuilding branch, opening the path toward Solar Energy Barrage IV.