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 |
|---|
|
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 |
|---|
|
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 |
|---|
|
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[]
"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[]
| Castes: Kel'ariy • Mu'hari • Nil'kemorya • P'aedt • Tre'pira • Ver'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 (Preamble • Intro Missions • Diplomacy Branch • Technology Branch • Rise of Ory'hara • Fall of the Polaris) Polaris Outfits • Polaris Weapons | ||