Well, my friend started playing GL a while back, and he decided not to invest much in energy. He is rank 32 with phase cannons, inertial dampeners, and whipple platings. Basically, he ranks as slowly as possible to get a huge amount of energy per rank. The result: A rank 32 who holds his own vs. rank 50s...

Send him over to AU. We have tons of slow rankers. For example, it took me a year to get to rank 100.

He's in my legion, but I'll pass on the invite as we are not a competitive legion, despite having a recuitment contest right now.

I would also recommend Overlord. They are the strongest ships we have encountered rank per rank. All those darn Aerlen Fixers/ Physicist with heavy defensive mods equipped...

I said in a previous topic that ANYONE can be shot down, but cutting through Deathbyrats or MiloTheLazy is like chopping down a red wood with a butter knife!

Excellent example of slow play tactics...

He's Konqul Fixer, the other combat staple.

wow you made a post about me? Im chuffed
Yeah,

StrmAvenger
Rank 32 Konqul Fixer
Galactic Coalition (19)
Combat Reputation: Menacing

Battles - (Seasoned)
Player Kills 134
Deaths from Players 21
Non-Player Kills 17
Planets Found 43
Planets Occupied 8
Planets Captured 0
Missions Completed 128
Scans Performed 71
Successful Hacks 6
Successful Raids 4

Size Class Heavy Frigate
Weapons Light Phase Cannon x2, Dominion Cannon x3
Energy Omicron Injector
Sensors AI Supercomputer
Hull Durtanium Plating x2
Shields Harmonic Resonator
Cloaking none
Defenses Inertial Dampener - Mark III x2

Actual Stats:
Hull: 299
Shield: 20
Size: 152/155
Attack: 355
Defense: 152
Scan: 6
Cloak: 5
Cargo: 28/60
Upkeep: 45.2k

Or you can rank reallly fast, invade/colonise lots of planet and increase your planet productionlike hell (more prisoners, androids, durtanium brackets, xcharge cells, ship bots, etcetc) ,FRAIL and Reverus are doing that, they get 2-3 troop carriers a day! and in the end the one that ranks fast will kill the slow ranker.

But im not telling anyone to buy 10000 gp and use it all on energy refills, that would be dangerous..

Someone mentioned slow ranking Aerlen Physicists with heavy defensive mods? Heh that's me alright. Like KingJ said, we are very very slow rankers. I had 80 max E up till rank 90+. Also took a looooong time to reach rank 100.

Also commonwealth, our slow ranking method involves no GL points, a more steady and definite flow of rank points, and with a high planet production at a near stationary rank we gain strength as if we were ranking up when we aren't! KingJ is halfway through the 100's and he's already a goliath classed ship. Ni bu yao jai dao yien wo men de pattern.

I believe it was Aerlen Fixers. Konqul Fixer is better... as a Konqul you are far more able to kill others, as an Aerlen you are almost impossible to kill. As it stands, the only times I've died recently were:
A legion alert
Someone who repaired 3 times to kill me, then complemented my ship on comm.
At my rank the level ups are important as otherwise I wont have room for the stuff I'm researching. I never thought about the artifact production later on giving me the ability to 'rank without ranking'.

It seems like a good strategy, but the guy who ranks up faster will ultimately win. They will have more planets to colonize = more production = more growth

For me, I go at a steady rate

Personally, I go for balance. It takes me 3-4 days to rank up, and I have a strong ship, around average in tech. It also depends on what planets you take. If you take all research then you will easily keep up.

My main strategy is and will be more so as time goes on. Level slow and gain as much from artifacts as I can.

Though I know over time my leveling will start to speed up.

Really? Mines slows down.

There is a gaining momentum type of thing. As you max out energy and start gaining extra energy items and crew. That is when it starts to speed up. I am getting close to this shift, though my speed will likely not be the much different for a while yet. Given that I am working my way to the last relay research right now. But I am a rank 252 with 1824 decks. So things are just going to start happening from how I am planning things ATM.

It pleases me to see that this thread has attracted a few more slow rankers to light.

PVP is easier as a slow ranker, but if you only have 100 energy, your NEVER going to do the bi-weekly missions.