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The Polaris Manta is a Polaris ship in Escape Velocity Nova. To purchase a Manta, you must have gone to P'ar Aed to begin helping the P'aedt with their research.

"A pilot in the Nil'kemorya comes of age at 16. It is then that he meets the Manta that will be his fighter and personal transport for as long as he lives, no matter how far he advances in rank. Grown from a DNA sample taken from the pilot when he was initiated into the Nil'kemorya, the Manta will bond with him in a very personal way. These fighters are not only swift and powerful, they are also the most 'alive' of the Polaris ships, having approximately the same level of sentience as smart dogs. It incorporates a potent bio-organic laser into its nose as its only weapon." ― Buying a Manta

The Manta is a very small but fast and powerful fighter. Many fleets and enemy capital ships meet their end at the hands of an experienced Manta pilot. Their single Bio-Relay Laser packs quite a punch while taking up none of the Manta's energy. It can be fired from a carrier using the Manta Bay.

Stats[]

"The pilot of this Manta is engaged in frolic with her ship as you arrive; they are playing a variant of catch, as the young vessel/lifeform swoops off to collect a ball thrown by the youthful pilot of this ship. "That will keep her occupied for a while," she smiles, and indicates that you should take a seat on a nearby crate. You discuss her fees and talk of small things while the playful young Manta does loops for fun." ― Hiring a Manta

Untitled (#161)[]

Stats
  • Purchase/Hire Appearance %: 100%/10%
  • Purchase Cost: 250k
  • Hire Cost: 25k/upfront 2.5k/day
  • Upgrade: Nil'kimas
  • Upgrade Cost: 100k
  • Nova pict 6070 thumb Speed: 590
  • Nova pict 6069 thumb Acceleration: 1075
  • Nova pict 6072 thumb Turning: 100
  • Nova pict 6067 thumb Shields: 100
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Shield Regen: 45
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Shield Recharge per second: 1.35
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Minutes to recharge Shields: 1.23
  • Nova pict 6052 thumb Armor: 50
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Armor Regen: 20
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Armor Recharge per second: 0.6
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Minutes to recharge Armor: 1.38
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Disabled at Armor %: 10%
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Pre-disabled Armor: 45
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Total Fighting HP: 145
  • Nova pict 6134 thumb Max Ion: 150
  • Nova pict 6134 thumb Deionize: 45
  • Nova pict 6062 thumb Total Outfits Space: 30t
  • Nova pict 6062 thumb Free Outfit Space: 15t
  • Nova pict 6061 thumb Cargo Space: 15t
  • Nova pict 6001 thumb Max Guns: 1
  • Nova pict 6001 thumb Guns: 1 BioRelay Laser
  • Nova pict 6128 thumb Energy: 400 (4 jumps)
  • Nova pict 6074 thumb Jump Time: 1 day
  • Targetable by PD?: No
  • Escape Ship?: Yes
  • Strength: 250
  • AI Type: Interceptor

The untitled Manta features a cargo hold, an additional jump of fuel and some unallocated equipment space that should see you through early Polaris missions.

Wild Variants[]

Shipvariant stat changes are relative to the stats of the basic model. The basic model is Untitled. Manta variants do not feature cargo space.

The following shipvariants are unavailable in the shipyard and must be captured in the field.

kemi (#314)[]

Kemi means 'student' in the Polaran tongue. It is a designation given to weaker ships which force their pilots to learn quickly.

Stats
  • Purchase Cost: 150k (-100k)
  • Hire Cost: 15k/upfront 1.5k/day
  • Upgrade: Untitled
  • Upgrade Cost: 100k
  • Nova pict 6070 thumb Speed: 575 (-15)
  • Nova pict 6069 thumb Acceleration: 950 (-125)
  • Nova pict 6072 thumb Turning: 85 (-15)
  • Nova pict 6067 thumb Shields: 80 (-20)
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Shield Regen: 30 (-15)
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Shield Recharge per second: 0.9
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Minutes to recharge Shields: 1.48
  • Nova pict 6052 thumb Armor: 40 (-10)
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Armor Regen: 10 (-10)
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Armor Recharge per second: 0.3
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Minutes to recharge Armor: 2.22
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Pre-disabled Armor: 36
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Total Fighting HP: 116
  • Nova pict 6134 thumb Max Ion: 120 (-30)
  • Nova pict 6134 thumb Deionize: 30 (-15)
  • Nova pict 6062 thumb Total Outfits Space: 17t
  • Nova pict 6062 thumb Free Outfit Space: 0t
  • Nova pict 6061 thumb Cargo Space: 0t (-15)
  • Nova pict 6001 thumb Guns: 1 BioRelay Laser
  • Nova pict 6056 thumb Outfits: 1 Nil'kemorya Jammer
  • Nova pict 6128 thumb Energy: 300 (3 jumps) (-100)

Woe to the pilot who finds themselves in a kemi Manta. While an unabashed downgrade besides the included jammer, it's still one of the best starfighters in the galaxy. You won't be accomplishing much in the way of story missions in one, however.

Nil'kimas (#315)[]

Nil'kimas means 'war-master' in the Polaran tongue. It is a designation given to ships that demonstrate that their pilots understand that the best way to survive is to have top-of-the-line statistics and firepower.

Stats
  • Purchase Cost: 350k (+100k)
  • Hire Cost: 35k/upfront 3.5k/day
  • Nova pict 6070 thumb Speed: 660 (+70)
  • Nova pict 6069 thumb Acceleration: 1175 (+100)
  • Nova pict 6072 thumb Turning: 120 (+20)
  • Nova pict 6067 thumb Shields: 180 (+80)
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Shield Regen: 60 (+15)
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Shield Recharge per second: 1.8
  • Nova pict 6065 thumb Minutes to recharge Shields: 1.66
  • Nova pict 6052 thumb Armor: 90 (+40)
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Armor Regen: 30 (+10)
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Armor Recharge per second: 0.9
  • Nova pict 6055 thumb Minutes to recharge Armor: 1.66
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Pre-disabled Armor: 81
  • Nova pict 6309 thumb Total Fighting HP: 261
  • Nova pict 6062 thumb Total Outfits Space: 42t (+12)
  • Nova pict 6062 thumb Free Outfit Space: 0t
  • Nova pict 6061 thumb Cargo Space: 0t (-15)
  • Nova pict 6001 thumb Max Guns: 2 (+1)
  • Nova pict 6001 thumb Guns: 2 BioRelay Lasers
  • Nova pict 6008 thumb Missiles: 1 Wraith Cannon (15 ammo)
  • Nova pict 6056 thumb Outfits: 1 Nil'kemorya Jammer
  • Nova pict 6128 thumb Energy: 300 (-100)

This shipvariant is the fastest ship in the game when given an Afterburner. Its beam loadout is equally powerful to the basic Manta if the 1=X beam bug is not fixed. Consider replacing one BRL and the Wraith Cannon with an Ion Cannon.

Gameplay Analysis[]

Manta Shipyard

"A very nice fighter, you'll find this ship to be quite deadly when you get swarmed (or get to be the one that is ordering the swarming). VERY fast, too, which makes them great for quickly striking your enemies." ― EVula Survival Guide

The Manta features an unusual immunity to Point-Defence for a starfighter. It will also completely regenerate both its shields and armor in a minute and half.

Qaanol manuever[]

The Qaanol maneuver uses an unarmed Manta with Spun Diamond and other durability upgrades to draw fire from the player's escorts during planetary domination. The Manta has six Nil'kimas Ravens (or other powerful escorts) to do the real fighting. The pilot simply attempts to draw fire away from their escorts in order to keep them from being destroyed.

Images[]

Appearance[]

<ship description>

Ship Spins[]

This ship has 36 frames per set and 3 sets for 108 frames in total. It banks when turning in one direction for a certain amount of time. The weapon glow is unused. The lights pulsate.


  • Ship: 40x40
  • Lights: 40x40
  • Weapon: 40x40
  • Engine: 40x40

Representative Images[]

Additional Images[]

Nova Polaris
Castes: Kel'ariyMu'hariNil'kemoryaP'aedtTre'piraVer'ash
Polaris Ships: Manta (v) (i) 250k, Sprite (v) (i) 500k, Striker (v) (i) 1M, Dragon (v) (i) 1.1M, Zephyr (v) (i) 2M, Arachnid (v) (i) 2M, Cambrian (v) (i) 2.5M, Scarab (v) (i) 7M, Raven (v) (i) 10M
Polaris Storyline (PreambleIntro MissionsDiplomacy BranchTechnology BranchRise of Ory'haraFall of the Polaris)
Polaris OutfitsPolaris Weapons
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