At this point I'm nearly level 150 - good research for my level (Heavy Proton, etc.), over 400+ planets in the database, with a pretty good list of artifacts (That are available to my level), and I keep starring at these planets with 2-4k defense. Buffed, I'm mid 2000. How do you guys take these things out with any regularity? When I have guys that are 130 just buffing up their planets, using 6, 8, or 10 space to put down 2-3k defense.. How do I beat that?

So many good planets to take, but either defense is overpowered at low levels, or I'm missing something - And I'd prefer to think I'm missing something.

You don't.. till you get cluster missiles and Mutigen cartridges and you then play the lottery.

So except for a limited artifact, or an artifact you can only get via a limited mission or rare NPC's, it's stupidly difficult to get planets from anyone 120+? That just seems unbelieveable.

Right now I'm PvP'ing for the first time to get the Dominions, then plan to grab the Psionic something-or-other. Any small boost counts I guess - but with all the good work Dan does, I just don't get this defense system.

Also - Nearly blew through the Zolazin chain thinking Sabotuer was the answer.. but it's a random structure, 8 hour timer, and I have to already be below 100 population? ugh. I prefer my 10%+ decks.

What would be the point of having planets and upgrading them when anyone would be able to take them easily? I am rank 155 if/when I try to invade a planet my attack is buffed out to just over 3k and with planet debuffs I can invade planets with about 3k invasion defense with about 45% ish chance.

Yes, +10% decks is useful but I think every legion should have a mixture of races and professions to be able to function efficiently. I made the change to Zolazin Saboteur to help out the legion rather than sticking to something that will only help me out.

Say a legion has 3 Zolazin Saboteur's and your trying to invade a planet, thats 3 structures that can be destroyed vastly increasing your chances of a successful invasion. Now this is very useful mid game but I am pretty sure when you have a huge attack it is a little different in that you wont need the help so much.

Not just mid but all the time. The closer you are to the 90% chance of invading, the better it is for you (and your legion).

It's called attack. Stack lots and lots of attack. You'll be able to do this 100s of ranks later once you're ship is big enough to hold all of your tech, you'll be able to start investing in crew. (or you can do it now at the cost of having less deck space if you realy wish) When you get there start investing into tac officers to increase your attack and eventually you'll have the attack neccissary to throw the odds in your favor.

Tactical Officers and change your race to Konqul.

Here's a Pirate's view o invasions:
The key to a good invasion is speed an coordination. Ye wants a legion that's not affraid te die a few times te get paid. Ye want about 4 Zolazin saboteurs, a few quantum bio-vaporizors, an some guys with high attack an defense fer beatin down populations.

Ye coordinate with legion comms, FB chat, or (best yet) Skype te make sure things go fast. First ye get the world alerted an all those helpin in position. Sabs ready te click te button, arti users queued an ready te use em, an yer strikers ready te go. From te work go should take less than 60 seconds from first arti hittin te last invasion attempt. Ye kin take a planet with good reliability wit that team 90% o te time. Other 10%, ye ask fer help er te guy gets online an might stop ye. Key is speed. Know who invades first, then second, then free fer all, an the like. Better someone gets a planet than it gets kept by it's owner. Bigger your guys are, faster yer coordination, better yer results.

So ye know, a saboteur is able te use thar ability once per 8 hours, like a regeneratin crimson cluster missile. Exception te this is they can only hit a world recently attacked, population unner 100, an when artifacts an abilities can be used on te planet. Like a crimson cluster missile, they can take a random researched population, attack, or defense structure. This kin be good, it kin be bad. Regardless, wit enough o 'em ye kin weaken almost anythin. Got te get the pop down fast, though, which is why I mentioned te quantum bio-vaporizers.

Following te theft ye need a set o steps te keep yer prize:

1. Refill population (always first!!!!)
Many a world taken from me was taken right back as they fumbled about changin structures er puttin alarm traps up. Pop stops invasions, the other jus makes it harder.

2. Flux em if ye got em.
Figure what a fluxworthy world is fer ye, an if yer going after one, do it fast. If an alarm sentry went off, ye needs te defend it up regardless as yer foe might be back te reclaim 'is world.

3. Prepare for counterattack.
Defenses, an lots o 'em. If it had three production structures afore ye took it, kill one er two an refill wit shields an attack an pop te make it really hard te get thar sabs into position te reclaim it. Figure 1k pop will slow someone down from a bigger legion. 2k will really prevent most tries. Then get 5k er more defense if thar big an scary, less if not as bad. Attack kin slow attackers, so ye want some. I tend te do 1-1 attack te defense, er 2-3 attack te defense ratios. Higer defense means more effort te get ready te sab an invade. More attack beats up yer attackers on te way in, then makes em lose time repairin. Guards also help - can't invade when one's on a world. An all o this should include appropriate artifact use: longevity serum, then cloning pods, any attack/defense boosters, traps, etc, an once tis all secure an pop filled (after buildin pop buildings, o course), then cap it off wit a planet vortex deflector. This stops guards getting warped off, other players usin artis er sabs te get thar world back, etc.

4. Plant yer jolly roger an break out te rum! (seriously, tis Pina Colada time!)