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A new and ominous threat in Cataclysm is the introduction of the Beast. This enigmatic entity is feared by Hiigarans and Taidans alike for it’s ability to absorb through bio-technical means the technology of any ship in the galaxy. When a vessel encounters a Beast fleet, the Beast ships quickly take control of the vessel and transform it into a Beast ship. The Beast functions as a pirate clan, stealing whatever ships it comes across and allying with no one. Beast ships have an organic substance forming a protective covering around their hulls. This organic material can rejuvenate itself after being damaged by enemy craft. Combined with Hiigaran, Taidanic, and Turanic technology, the Beast is a formidable foe.

One of the great enhancements in Cataclysm is the ability to move the command ship anywhere in the galaxy you would like. This was a rather limiting factor in Homeworld, and after being given the ability to move the command ship around with the entire fleet, new strategic possibilities are realized. Another bonus with the command ship is the ability to upgrade it with modular additions. These range from better research modules and weapons modules, to support modules that allow the ship to support a larger fleet. Thus, the command ship becomes a much more agile and useful ship in Cataclysm, consequently playing a more pro-active role throughout the game. The only caveat with the command ship is the way unit limits are reached fairly early due to the capacity of the support modules. You can only build so many support modules regardless of the amount of resources accumulated, which means you will occasionally have to destroy your own ships in order to build something more appropriate for a particular mission.

Other noteworthy ships are the Hive drone frigate which looks like a big ugly insect that emits swarms of tiny fighter ships, effectively distracting the enemy while it’s main guns do major damage on enemy ships. Each of the tiny swarm vehicles can be controlled manually if you wish, and they are automatically replaced by the drone frigate when they are killed. The Leech is a breeching pod that is capable of approaching enemy craft completely undetected. Once an enemy craft is identified, the Leech attaches itself to the ship and can be commanded to either slowly eat away at the enemy ship by chewing away at it and ejecting it into space, or absorbing the physical particles of the ship for your own use. If the fog of war in Cataclysm is preventing you from observing enemy locations, the Mimic is exceptionally effective in disguising itself as an enemy ship or asteroid while stealthily moving around in enemy territory. Mimics can also dock with each other to form a larger, more powerful suicide attack craft known as the Martyr. Another advantageous ship to have in your fleet is the tiny Sentinel which, after being upgraded, can join with other Sentinel ships to create a protective force field around anything you assign them to protect. The main fighter ship of the Kuun-Lan is the Acolyte, an interceptor ship that was reverse engineered from technology obtained from the Bentusi race. In addition to these ships are several frigates, destroyers, and carriers that each have unique capabilities. A thick game manual documents all the new ships and explains their histories and special abilities. There are just enough ships in Cataclysm to give the player some leeway in making strategical and tactical decisions while not overwhelming the player with too many options.