This document specifies the complete ship roster for Tao Baryon v1.0. Each ship is defined by its archetype, signature mechanic, passive bonuses, weapon mount affinities, M-tier progression, and unlock requirements.
All numerical values are placeholders for v1.0 launch and will be tuned during playtest. The shape and identity of each ship is locked.
| Tier | Count | Acquisition Path |
|---|---|---|
| H-Series (Human design) | 3 ships | Affordable, accessible, mass-produced. Starter to mid-game. |
| V-Series (Veiled schematics, human-built) | 3 ships | Specialized, exotic. Mid-to-late game. |
| C-Series (Coalition joint-built) | 3 ships | Hand-assembled, end-game. Premium identity. |
Total: 9 ships in v1.0.
Every ship progresses through 4 visible states: M0 → M1 → M2 → M3.
Each Mark improves stats and evolves the passive ability qualitatively.
| Mark | Trail Color | Trail Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M0 | Blue #42A5F5 core, #1565C0 edge glow |
2px wide, 3px tall | Base — soft neon |
| M1 | Blue #42A5F5 brighter |
2px wide, 4px tall | Intensity increase only |
| M2 | Yellow #FFD600 core, #FF8F00 edge |
4px total (2px core + 1px each side), 4px tall | Color shift — warm |
| M3 | Red #FF5722 core + lime #c8f542 halo |
4px total (2px core + 1px halo each side), 5px tall | Lime halo with drop-shadow(0 0 4px #c8f542) |
M3 engine trail glow rule: The lime halo on M3 ships is rendered with a CSS/Flame drop-shadow filter. This is the only place the engine trail itself glows — at all other marks the trail has no glow filter.
| Mark | Hull Change |
|---|---|
| M0 | Base sprite |
| M1 | Additional plating details, one pip mark |
| M2 | Refined silhouette, two pip marks, color trim shift |
| M3 | Structural changes (wing geometry, engine housing), three pip marks, signature lime accent (#c8f542) integration |
Each ship rates each of the 8 weapons as:
Role: Balanced starter ship. Every player flies this first.
Lore: The Vanguard is the workhorse of the Coalition. Mass-produced in human shipyards during the early war years. Every cadet trains in one. Forgiving, reliable, comfortable.
Signature Mechanic: Coalition Standard — Begins each stage with a base shield charge that absorbs one hit.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +5% credit drop from kills
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 100 | 130 | 160 | 200 |
| Speed | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.10× | 1.15× |
| Fire rate mult | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.15× |
| Hitbox size | Medium | Medium | Medium-small | Small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Pulse Cannon | Native |
| Inertial Lance | Native |
| Coherence Beam | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Compatible |
| Penrose Lance | Compatible |
| Anomaly Field | Compatible |
| Cosmic String Spear | Forced |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Clean military silhouette. Symmetrical. The "good shape" the player remembers. Engine signature in soft blue at M0.
Role: High-speed pressure ship. Rewards aggressive players who maintain motion.
Lore: The Interceptor was Coalition's response to early-war Telos light fighters. Built for speed, minimal armor, narrow profile. Designed to break through enemy lines and engage at close range. Earned a reputation for either making careers or ending them.
Signature Mechanic: Critical Velocity — When moving at full joystick deflection (full speed), gain +30% damage and +20% fire rate. Penalty: when stationary, take +15% incoming damage.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +15% pickup magnet radius
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 70 | 85 | 100 | 125 |
| Speed | 1.3× | 1.35× | 1.4× | 1.5× |
| Fire rate mult | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.2× |
| Hitbox size | Small | Small | Very small | Very small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Pulse Cannon | Native |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Native |
| Coherence Beam | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Compatible |
| Inertial Lance | Compatible |
| Penrose Lance | Forced |
| Anomaly Field | Forced |
| Cosmic String Spear | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Sleek arrow shape. Narrow profile. Hot-rod aesthetic. M3 gains subtle wing tips that glow.
Role: Heavy assault ship for cautious players. Soaks damage, maintains position.
Lore: Built when humanity realized the Coalition needed ships that could endure sustained engagements with Telos cruisers. The Bulwark sacrifices speed for armor, range, and stopping power. Affectionately called "the Anvil" by pilots.
Signature Mechanic: Stalwart Defense — Damage taken is reduced by 20% baseline. When stationary for >1 second, take an additional -20% damage (total: -40% damage when holding position). Penalty: -25% fire rate while moving.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +25% maximum HP scaling
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 180 | 220 | 270 | 340 |
| Speed | 0.7× | 0.75× | 0.8× | 0.85× |
| Fire rate mult | 0.85× | 0.9× | 0.95× | 1.0× |
| Hitbox size | Large | Large | Large | Medium-large |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Inertial Lance | Native |
| Coherence Beam | Native |
| Pulse Cannon | Compatible |
| Anomaly Field | Compatible |
| Penrose Lance | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Forced |
| Cosmic String Spear | Forced |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Heavy, blocky, asymmetric (asymmetric profile signals "this is the heavy"). Visible armor plating. M3 gains buttressed wing armor.
Role: Long-range precision specialist. Slow firing, high per-shot damage.
Lore: The first V-Series design released to Coalition pilots, designed by a Veiled engineer specifically for the Marksman archetype. The ship is built around stable firing platforms — its weapon mounts compensate for ship movement, producing exceptionally accurate fire.
Signature Mechanic: Veiled Precision — Primary weapon damage scales with distance the projectile travels to the target. +0% damage at point-blank, +50% damage at maximum range. Penalty: -20% fire rate.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +20% crit chance (crits do 2× damage)
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 90 | 110 | 130 | 160 |
| Speed | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.15× |
| Fire rate mult | 0.8× | 0.85× | 0.9× | 0.95× |
| Hitbox size | Medium | Medium-small | Small | Small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Cosmic String Spear | Native |
| Penrose Lance | Native |
| Inertial Lance | Compatible |
| Pulse Cannon | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Compatible |
| Coherence Beam | Forced |
| Anomaly Field | Forced |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Elongated, angular, scope-like protrusion on the prow. Telos influence visible in the curved hull plates.
Role: Quantum-tunneling evasion specialist. Best survival ship for skilled players.
Lore: The Phantom's signature ability is the result of Architect-Veth's first major contribution to Coalition engineering — a stabilized quantum-tunneling field that allows brief phase-shifting through bullets. Veth has said publicly that the Phantom is "the ship I designed for the pilot I would have wanted to be."
Signature Mechanic: Quantum Drift — Every 8 seconds, the ship automatically phases through the next incoming projectile without taking damage. Visual indicator shows when ready. Active duration: instant.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +10% damage reduction from all sources
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 85 | 100 | 120 | 145 |
| Speed | 1.15× | 1.2× | 1.25× | 1.3× |
| Fire rate mult | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.15× |
| Hitbox size | Small | Small | Small | Small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Hawking Bolt | Native |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Native |
| Pulse Cannon | Compatible |
| Coherence Beam | Compatible |
| Anomaly Field | Compatible |
| Inertial Lance | Forced |
| Penrose Lance | Forced |
| Cosmic String Spear | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Ethereal silhouette, translucent edge effects, slightly flickering particles around hull. The ship looks like it's not entirely there.
Role: High fire rate sustained damage. Best DPS in the V-tier.
Lore: The Striker is what happens when Coalition engineers ask Veiled designers, "How do we shoot more?" The result is a ship optimized for sustained, rhythmic, high-tempo combat. The ship's hull is built around a high-throughput weapon-cooling system that lets the player push the heat envelope further than other ships.
Signature Mechanic: Sustained Coherence — Primary weapon heat builds 25% slower. Each consecutive kill within 2 seconds of the last grants +5% fire rate (stacking up to +30%; resets if no kill for 2.5s).
Passive Numeric Bonus: +10% damage from primary weapon
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 100 | 115 | 135 | 165 |
| Speed | 1.1× | 1.15× | 1.2× | 1.25× |
| Fire rate mult | 1.15× | 1.2× | 1.25× | 1.35× |
| Hitbox size | Small-medium | Small-medium | Small | Small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Pulse Cannon | Native |
| Coherence Beam | Native |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Compatible |
| Inertial Lance | Compatible |
| Penrose Lance | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Forced |
| Anomaly Field | Forced |
| Cosmic String Spear | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Aggressive, forward-leaning silhouette. Multiple weapon vents along the hull. M3 has hot-running engines that pulse rapidly.
Role: The ultimate balanced ship. Designed to excel at everything.
Lore: The Apex is the result of years of Coalition R&D — every lesson learned from H-Series and V-Series ships, every breakthrough from Veiled-Coalition collaboration, all integrated into one design. The Choir of Names gave it a Veiled liturgical name that translates as "the ship that resists the doctrine." Pilots simply call it the Apex.
Signature Mechanic: Tao Resonance — Player ship gains a stacking damage and damage-reduction bonus over time. Every 10 seconds of survival (no death within current attempt), gain +3% damage and +1% damage reduction. Caps at +30% damage / +10% damage reduction. Resets only on death.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +10% credits, +10% XP
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 130 | 160 | 195 | 240 |
| Speed | 1.1× | 1.15× | 1.2× | 1.3× |
| Fire rate mult | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.15× | 1.25× |
| Hitbox size | Medium | Medium-small | Small | Small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Penrose Lance | Native |
| Inertial Lance | Native |
| Pulse Cannon | Native |
| Anomaly Field | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Compatible |
| Coherence Beam | Compatible |
| Cosmic String Spear | Compatible |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Refined, symmetric, slightly larger than other ships. Subtle Coalition insignia on hull. M3 gains the lime-accent integration prominently — this is the ship that wears the Tao of the Baryon colors openly.
Role: Sustained-damage specialist. Best with beam weapons.
Lore: The Resonator was designed around a single principle: amplification. Its hull contains coherent resonance fields that channel the energy of sustained weapon fire back into the projectile, escalating damage over time. Pairs supernaturally well with the Coherence Beam and Penrose Lance.
Signature Mechanic: Resonance Cascade — While continuously firing the primary weapon, damage scales upward over time. Damage builds at +5% per second of sustained fire (linear), capping at +100% (doubling damage) after 20 seconds. Resets when firing stops for >0.5 seconds.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +15% heat dissipation rate
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 120 | 145 | 175 | 210 |
| Speed | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.15× |
| Fire rate mult | 1.0× | 1.05× | 1.1× | 1.15× |
| Hitbox size | Medium | Medium | Medium-small | Small |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Coherence Beam | Native |
| Penrose Lance | Native |
| Pulse Cannon | Compatible |
| Hawking Bolt | Compatible |
| Inertial Lance | Compatible |
| Anomaly Field | Forced |
| Cosmic String Spear | Forced |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Visible resonance rings emanating from the hull when firing. Engine signature distinctive — pulses rhythmically. The ship looks like an instrument as much as a weapon.
Role: Slow firing, devastating per-shot damage. End-game power-fantasy ship.
Lore: The Singularity is the Coalition's most violent design. Built around heavy weapon mounts, exotic shielding, and a power core that produces extraordinary single-shot damage at the cost of sustained fire rate. Its named for what Architect-Veth said when first proposing it: "Sometimes the answer is to be the singularity. Sometimes the answer is one shot that ends the conversation."
Signature Mechanic: Event Horizon — Every kill increases per-shot damage by 0.5% (caps at +50% / 100 kills). Resets to 0 on damage taken. Encourages no-hit play.
Passive Numeric Bonus: +25% damage from primary weapon (baseline before Event Horizon stacking)
Stats Progression (M0 → M3)
| Stat | M0 | M1 | M2 | M3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 110 | 135 | 165 | 200 |
| Speed | 0.9× | 0.95× | 1.0× | 1.05× |
| Fire rate mult | 0.75× | 0.8× | 0.85× | 0.9× |
| Hitbox size | Medium | Medium | Small-medium | Small-medium |
Mechanic Evolution by Mark:
Weapon Mount Affinity:
| Weapon | Affinity |
|---|---|
| Cosmic String Spear | Native |
| Hawking Bolt | Native |
| Anomaly Field | Native |
| Penrose Lance | Compatible |
| Inertial Lance | Compatible |
| Pulse Cannon | Compatible |
| Coherence Beam | Forced |
| Boltzmann Cascade | Forced |
Acquisition:
Visual Notes: Aggressive, hulking, larger than other ships. Heavy weapon mounts dominate the silhouette. M3 gains a visible event-horizon shimmer around the hull when at full Event Horizon stacks.
| Ship | Unlock Gate | Credit Cost | Veiled Tokens | Build Time | Pilot Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-1 Vanguard | Game start | Free | 0 | Instant | 1 |
| H-2 Interceptor | Sector 1 clear | 3,500 | 0 | 30 min | 5 |
| H-3 Bulwark | Sector 1 clear | 4,000 | 0 | 30 min | 5 |
| V-1 Marksman | Sector 3 clear | 25,000 | 3 | 2 hours | 15 |
| V-2 Phantom | Sector 3 clear | 28,000 | 4 | 2 hours | 17 |
| V-3 Striker | Sector 3 clear | 26,000 | 3 | 2 hours | 16 |
| C-1 Apex | Sector 4 clear | 100,000 | 10 | 8 hours | 28 |
| C-2 Resonator | Sector 4 clear | 110,000 | 12 | 8 hours | 30 |
| C-3 Singularity | Sector 5 (S27) clear | 125,000 | 15 | 8 hours | 32 |
| Upgrade | Credits | Blueprint Shards | Pilot Rank | Build Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-Series M0→M1 | 3,000 | 1 | +3 above unlock | 20 min |
| H-Series M1→M2 | 8,000 | 3 | +6 above unlock | 1 hour |
| H-Series M2→M3 | 20,000 | 6 | +9 above unlock | 2 hours |
| V-Series M0→M1 | 15,000 | 3 + 1 token | +3 above unlock | 1.5 hours |
| V-Series M1→M2 | 35,000 | 7 + 3 tokens | +6 above unlock | 4 hours |
| V-Series M2→M3 | 80,000 | 15 + 6 tokens | +9 above unlock | 8 hours |
| C-Series M0→M1 | 50,000 | 8 + 5 tokens | +3 above unlock | 4 hours |
| C-Series M1→M2 | 130,000 | 18 + 10 tokens | +6 above unlock | 8 hours |
| C-Series M2→M3 | 300,000 | 40 + 25 tokens | +9 above unlock | 16 hours |
Validated through the design system renderer (ship-renderer.jsx). These coordinates are production-locked. All polygon points are in 64×64 cell space, origin top-left.
| Ship | Series | Polygon (x,y points) |
|---|---|---|
| H-1 Vanguard | H | [32,6][48,52][32,44][16,52] |
| H-2 Interceptor | H | [32,4][44,56][32,46][20,56] (M1+: [32,4][45,56][32,46][19,56]) |
| H-3 Bulwark | H | [32,8][52,54][32,48][12,54] |
| V-1 Marksman | V | [32,0][33,8][36,10][40,54][24,54][28,10][31,8] |
| V-2 Phantom | V | [32,6][48,52][32,44][16,52] + edge-dither + ghost offset |
| V-3 Striker | V | [32,5][46,54][32,46][18,54] |
| C-1 Apex | C | [32,4][46,22][42,54][22,54][18,22] |
| C-2 Resonator | C | [32,4][44,22][40,54][24,54][20,22] |
| C-3 Singularity | C | [32,5][50,20][52,50][42,56][22,56][12,50][14,20] |
Vanguard M3: Lime spine line [32,10]→[32,42]. Full fins rect [10,44,5,8] + [49,44,5,8].
Interceptor M3: Lime wingtip nodes rect [20,54,2,2] + [42,54,2,2].
Bulwark M3: Lime strip line [20,50]→[44,50]. Buttressed plates rect [7,35,5,9] + [51,37,5,8].
Phantom: Ghost offset +2px right, dithered at 30% opacity (every (nx+ny)%2 === 0 pixel). Edge dither: every (x+y)%2 === 0 edge pixel removed.
Resonator M1-M2: Teal resonance arcs — left: cx=20, cy=38, r=8, arc π/2→3π/2. Right: cx=44, cy=38, r=8, arc -π/2→π/2. At M3: arcs turn lime #c8f542.
Singularity: Shoulder mounts rect [46,18,4,4] + [14,18,4,4] in #555972. Barrel slots rect [49,19,1,2] + [14,19,1,2]. M3 Event Horizon shimmer: arc cx=32, cy=32, r=18, 0→2π in #e8eaf0.
Coalition insignia (H-Series M2+): Vertical bar line [32,12]→[32,16] + horizontal rect [30,14,5,1] in #42A5F5.
| Ship | Crack 1 | Crack 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard | [26,28]→[22,36] |
[36,30]→[40,38] |
| Interceptor | [27,28]→[24,38] |
[37,30]→[40,40] |
| Bulwark | [24,28]→[18,40] |
[40,30]→[46,44] |
| Marksman | (inherited from V-Series spec) | |
| Phantom | [27,30]→[24,40] |
[37,32]→[40,42] |
| Apex | [26,30]→[22,42] |
[38,32]→[42,44] |
| Resonator | [26,30]→[22,42] |
[38,32]→[42,44] |
| Singularity | [24,32]→[18,46] |
[40,34]→[48,48] |
| Series | Hull Mid | Hull Light | Hull Shadow |
|---|---|---|---|
| H | #8b8fa8 |
#e8eaf0 |
#555972 |
| V | #7a8090 |
#e8eaf0 |
#555972 |
| C | #606472 |
#8b8fa8 |
#3e4050 |
Shading bands: Top 30% of hull height → Light. Bottom 20% → Shadow. Middle band → Mid.
Document version: 1.1 — pixel geometry locked from design system Part of: Tao Baryon GDD — Tier 2 Content Systems Part of: Tao Baryon GDD — Tier 2 Content Systems