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Structs Combat

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Executes combat operations in Structs. Covers attacks, raids, defense setup, and stealth positioning. Use when attacking enemy structs, raiding a planet for ore, setting up defenders, activating stealth, moving fleet for raids, or preparing for incoming attacks. Raids require fleet movement and background PoW compute.

Install

openclaw skills install structs-combat

Structs Combat

Important: Entity IDs containing dashes (like 5-10, 9-3) are misinterpreted as flags by the CLI parser. All transaction commands in this skill use -- before positional arguments to prevent this.

Safety

See SAFETY.md for the trust contract. In this skill:

  • struct-attack single-target (Tier 1) — "Confirm the target ID before firing. The chain will not stop you from attacking a guild-mate." Surface target ID(s), the weapon system, and the expected counter-attack ambit.
  • struct-attack multi-target across guild boundaries (Tier 2 — act of war) — "An act of war. The targets' guilds may retaliate as a bloc. Always escalate."
  • planet-raid-compute (Tier 1 + expedition) — "A committed expedition. Your fleet locks 'away' while the proof grinds, and the completion transaction submits itself on landing. You cannot build on your planet during this window." Secure your planet before launching; the auto-submit may invite retaliation. On reconnect, walk the four-state flow in awareness/async-operations before launching anything new — a raid you forgot about may have completed (or failed) since.
  • fleet-move to scouted destination (Tier 1) / to unscouted hostile space (Tier 2) — "Instant transit. Verify the destination."
  • struct-stealth-activate before raids (Tier 0) — routine misdirection; attacking deactivates stealth automatically.

Procedure

  1. Scout — structsd query structs planet [id], structsd query structs struct [id] for targets, shield, defenses.

  2. Optional stealth — structsd tx structs struct-stealth-activate --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -- [struct-id] before attack.

  3. Attack structs — The CLI will prompt you to confirm. Verify the target IDs, weapon, and (for multi-target) that you are not crossing guild boundaries you did not intend to cross.

    structsd tx structs struct-attack --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -- [operating-struct-id] [target-struct-id,target-id2,...] [weapon-system]

    Can target multiple structs. Multi-target across guild boundaries is Tier 2 (act of war).

  4. Raid flow — Raiding is an expedition that auto-submits its completion (this is why the compute step keeps -y).

    a. Move fleet to target (CLI prompts):

    structsd tx structs fleet-move --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -- [fleet-id] [destination-location-id]

    b. Approval Block before launching raid compute:

    • fleet-id is your raiding fleet and it is now at the target planet
    • You accept that the planet you raid from is undefended by fleet for the duration
    • Stored ore at your home planet is refined or below your tolerance for theft
    • You will tolerate the auto-submitted completion landing minutes-to-hours from now even if the situation shifts

    c. Launch compute (auto-submits completion):

    structsd tx structs planet-raid-compute -D 3 --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [fleet-id]

    d. Move fleet home. Refine stolen ore immediately.

  5. Defense setup — CLI will prompt for each assignment:

    structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -- [defender-struct-id] [protected-struct-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-clear --from [key] --gas auto -- [defender-struct-id]

Commands Reference

ActionCLI Command
Attackstructsd tx structs struct-attack -- [operating-struct-id] [target-ids] [weapon-system]
Raid compute (PoW + auto-complete)structsd tx structs planet-raid-compute -D 3 -- [fleet-id]
Raid complete (manual, rarely needed)structsd tx structs planet-raid-complete -- [fleet-id]
Fleet movestructsd tx structs fleet-move -- [fleet-id] [destination-location-id]
Set defensestructsd tx structs struct-defense-set -- [defender-id] [protected-id]
Clear defensestructsd tx structs struct-defense-clear -- [defender-id]
Stealth onstructsd tx structs struct-stealth-activate -- [struct-id]
Stealth offstructsd tx structs struct-stealth-deactivate -- [struct-id]
Move Command Ship (ambit)structsd tx structs struct-move -- [struct-id] [new-ambit] [new-slot] [new-location]

Raid flow: fleet-move → planet-raid-compute (auto-submits complete) → fleet-move home → refine stolen ore.

TX_FLAGS (interactive — the CLI prompts you to confirm): --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5

TX_FLAGS_APPROVED (only after commander approval; suppresses the prompt): TX_FLAGS plus -y. See SAFETY.md "The -y Rule." planet-raid-compute is the documented -y exception — it auto-submits completion when no shell is attached, so use the Approval Block above as your gate.

Requires: structsd on PATH and a configured signing key.

Raid Timing

Fleet movement (fleet-move) is instant — no transit time. The only time cost in a raid cycle is the PoW compute.

planet-raid-compute uses -D flag (range 1-64) to wait until difficulty drops before hashing. Raid PoW difficulty depends on the target planet's properties. Launch raid compute in a background terminal — it may take minutes to hours depending on difficulty. Use -D 3 for zero wasted CPU. Compute auto-submits the complete transaction.

Important: Your fleet is locked "away" during the raid compute. You cannot build on your planet while your fleet is away. Plan accordingly — complete all planet builds before moving fleet for a raid.

Ambit Targeting

Each weapon can only hit specific ambits. Before attacking, verify your struct's weapon can reach the target's ambit.

StructLives InPrimary TargetsSecondary Targets
Command ShipAny (movable)Current ambit only—
BattleshipSpaceSpace, Land, Water—
StarfighterSpaceSpaceSpace
FrigateSpaceSpace, Air—
Pursuit FighterAirAir—
Stealth BomberAirLand, Water—
High Altitude InterceptorAirSpace, Air—
Mobile ArtilleryLandLand, Water—
TankLandLand—
SAM LauncherLandSpace, Air—
CruiserWaterLand, WaterAir
DestroyerWaterAir, Water—
SubmersibleWaterSpace, Water—

Command Ship positioning: The Command Ship is the only struct that can change ambits via struct-move. It can only attack structs in its current ambit (ambit flag 32 = "Local"). Move it to the target's ambit before attacking. Move it away from enemy weapon ranges as a defensive tactic.

Weapon Control vs Defense Type

The interaction between weapon control (guided/unguided) and target defense determines evasion. This is the core of combat tactics:

Target Defensevs Guidedvs Unguided
Signal Jamming (Battleship, Pursuit Fighter, Cruiser)66% missFull hit
Defensive Maneuver (High Alt Interceptor)Full hit66% miss
Armour (Tank)Full hit, -1 dmgFull hit, -1 dmg
Stealth Mode (Stealth Bomber, Submersible)Same-ambit onlySame-ambit only
Indirect Combat (Mobile Artillery)Full hitFull hit
NoneFull hitFull hit

Tactics: Use unguided weapons vs Signal Jamming, guided vs Defensive Maneuver. Armour always reduces by 1.

Stealth rules:

  • Stealthed structs can still be attacked from the same ambit -- stealth only blocks cross-ambit targeting
  • Attacking instantly deactivates stealth (firing reveals position)
  • Re-activation costs 1 charge (struct-stealth-activate)

Strategic Positioning

Offensive: Move your Command Ship to the ambit where you want to deal damage. Use cross-ambit attackers (Battleship, Stealth Bomber, SAM Launcher, Submersible) for coverage without repositioning.

Defensive: If the enemy fleet can only target specific ambits, move your Command Ship to an ambit they cannot reach. Diversify defenders across ambits so you can block attacks from any direction.

High-value cross-ambit units: Battleship (Space→Space/Land/Water), SAM Launcher (Land→Space/Air), Stealth Bomber (Air→Land/Water), Submersible (Water→Space/Water), Cruiser (Water→Land/Water + Air secondary). These structs threaten multiple ambits and are the foundation of flexible fleet composition.

Verification

  • Query planet shield, struct health
  • Query fleet location (onStation vs away)
  • Stolen ore: refine immediately; verify with struct/player queries
  • Attack results include health values (remaining health after attack) -- use to assess damage dealt
  • Raid seized_ore is tracked on planet_raid record -- query to see total ore stolen

Combat Notes

  • Minimum damage after reduction is 1 -- attacks always deal at least 1 damage
  • Offline/destroyed structs cannot counter-attack
  • Each struct can counter-attack at most once per struct-attack invocation -- not per target, not per shot
  • Defender counter-attack fires before block, and fires even on evaded shots
  • Target counter-attack fires after all shots resolve -- destroyed targets cannot counter
  • Block does NOT fire on evaded shots -- only counter-attacks happen on evasion
  • Evasion is per-target (entire volley evaded), while shot accuracy is per-projectile
  • Each projectile gets its own EventAttackShotDetail -- targetPlayerId is on EventAttackShotDetail (not EventAttackDetail)
  • PDC does not counter-attack -- it only auto-fires after all targets are resolved
  • Multiple players' PDCs on the same planet stack correctly
  • Target struct existence is validated before attack proceeds
  • Hashing for raid-compute is open by default -- any valid proof accepted
  • Successful raids seize ALL of the target's storedOre -- one raid takes everything
  • Destroyed structs are gone forever but can be replaced by building a new struct of the same type (full PoW required)
  • Protect your Command Ship -- losing it disables your entire fleet until a replacement is built

Combat Readiness Checklist

Before engaging in combat, verify all conditions:

  • Command Ship online — structsd query structs struct [cmd-ship-id], status = Online
  • Fleet on station (for defense) or fleet away (for raids) — structsd query structs fleet [fleet-id]
  • Sufficient charge — Weapons cost 1-20 charge. At ~6 sec/block, 20 charge = 2 minutes
  • Power capacity headroom — Total load must stay below capacity during combat
  • Defense structs assigned — PDC, Orbital Shield, defenders set via struct-defense-set
  • Available struct slot — If building combat structs, check planet slots (0-3 per ambit)
  • Ore refined or secured — Unrefined ore is stealable. Refine before engaging in raids that may invite retaliation

Defense Formations

Assign defenders to protect high-value structs. Defenders absorb incoming attacks before the protected struct takes damage.

Minimum viable defense: Assign at least one combat struct per ambit to defend your Command Ship. Command Ship has 6 HP; most fleet structs have 3 HP. Without defenders, a Command Ship can be destroyed in just a few attacks.

Example formation (4 Starfighters defending Command Ship — CLI will prompt for each):

structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -- [starfighter-1-id] [command-ship-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -- [starfighter-2-id] [command-ship-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -- [starfighter-3-id] [command-ship-id]
structsd tx structs struct-defense-set --from [key] --gas auto -- [starfighter-4-id] [command-ship-id]

Rules:

  • Defenders must be in the same ambit as the target being defended to block (not the attacker's ambit)
  • A struct cannot block for a friendly in a different ambit
  • Defenders counter-attack once per struct-attack invocation (before block, even on evaded shots) -- for multi-shot weapons (Attack Run with 3 projectiles), the defender counters on the first shot only but can attempt to block all 3 shots
  • Counter-attacks are ambit-independent from the defended target (a space defender can counter a space attacker while defending a land struct)
  • Attacking Signal Jamming targets (Battleship, Pursuit Fighter, Cruiser) with guided weapons is riskier -- you miss AND get countered
  • Each defender assignment costs 1 charge -- stagger 6s apart (same account)
  • Build defense BEFORE economy or offense -- always
  • Defense protects structs from destruction but does NOT prevent ore seizure -- the only defense for ore is immediate refining

Error Handling

  • "insufficient charge" — Weapon needs charge; check struct state.
  • "target invalid" — Target may be destroyed, stealthed, or out of range.
  • "unreachable" / "out_of_range" — Your weapon cannot target that ambit. Check the targeting matrix above and reposition your Command Ship or use a different struct.
  • "fleet not away" — Raids require fleet away; move fleet first.
  • "proof invalid" — Re-run raid-compute with correct difficulty.
  • Stolen ore — Refine immediately; ore is stealable until refined.

See Also