A tactic for your consideration

[NightFalcon (OP)]

This is probably basic basic basic, but I was brain-storming...

So the idea is two types of ships. One class is heavily armored, with CIWS, 10cm lasers, and AMM. It's designed to soak up a ridiculous number of missiles.
The second class is super fast armed with only larger laser turrets.

The idea is keep the tanking heavy ships up front, get the enemy to use up all the ammo, then dart in with the fast laser ships to take out the now-defenseless fleet.

Thoughts?

[Brian Neumann]

This is probably basic basic basic, but I was brain-storming...

So the idea is two types of ships. One class is heavily armored, with CIWS, 10cm lasers, and AMM. It's designed to soak up a ridiculous number of missiles.
The second class is super fast armed with only larger laser turrets.

The idea is keep the tanking heavy ships up front, get the enemy to use up all the ammo, then dart in with the fast laser ships to take out the now-defenseless fleet.

Thoughts?

As long as your tanks are larger than the other ships the automatic firing priority will be for the bigger ships.  This will only work against the computer however and not a player run race in combat.  I would also eliminate the ciws system and mount either full up gauss cannon in turrets, or more 10cm lasers.  If you are going to have more than a couple of these in a fleet the extra individual fire power of the ciws system will more than equalled by the extra weapons on each of the ships.  The downside to the ciws system is that it only protects the mounting ship and no others.

Brian

[Kurt]

This is probably basic basic basic, but I was brain-storming...

So the idea is two types of ships. One class is heavily armored, with CIWS, 10cm lasers, and AMM. It's designed to soak up a ridiculous number of missiles.
The second class is super fast armed with only larger laser turrets.

The idea is keep the tanking heavy ships up front, get the enemy to use up all the ammo, then dart in with the fast laser ships to take out the now-defenseless fleet.

Thoughts?

This is a version of the basic tactic that my Zogs have been using.  The weapon of decision for the Zogs is torpedoes, mounted on a small, fast attack ship.  As originally intended, the attack ships would shelter under the anti-missile umbrella of dedicated escort ships, and then once the enemy had run out of missiles, the attack ships would make their run on the enemy fleet.  

This strategy works, however, there are a couple of "issues":
Issue number one is that you never know for sure that the enemy actually ran out of missiles.  Is the firing lull actually the end because the enemy ran out of missiles, or are they just reassessing their targeting priorities?  This is a crucial question, because shortly after you detach your attack ships to make their run on the enemy fleet, they will be out from under the missile defense umbrella of the escorts and will be vulnerable to missiles.  

Issue number two is related to number one, sort of.  Assuming the enemy did actually run out of missiles and your attack ships are catching up with the enemy fleet, you will likely run into the same thing that my attack ships ran into, offensive use of short-range anti-missiles.  If the enemy ships being pursued by your attack ships have anti-missile missiles they will invariably dump their entire stock on your approaching ships, and while they will only do one point of damage each they will wear down your armor eventually, especially if your attack ships don't have any missile defenses (mine don't).

Issue number three is crucial - if your attack ships are slower than the enemy fleet, you are done, period, unless you can pin them against something they have to defend.

Kurt

[praguepride]

Issue #4: what if they're not firing missiles

just saying...

[Zerox]

Issue #4: what if they're not firing missiles

just saying. . .

Then drop the tanks and skirt them with your fast ships.
If they're STILL too fast, divide your taskgroup so that the tanks can go forward, change the Gauss turrets (I never use CIWS just because of the ability of Gauss cannon turrets to quickly change into a moderately effective close quarters weapon) from point defense to standard direct fire mode and light them up.  If they're precursors, they can ram, so you might want to try a different tactic.  However, from my experience the precursors ramming attempts are typically pretty useless if you've got ships that go anywhere above 2000km/s

The only true downside to this tactic is that the 'tank' ships are always delaying the faster ones.  Personally, my favorite version of this tactic is having a singular, massive capship (upwards of 50000 tons or even more.  In my space Reich game I even experimented with a [hilariously clunky] 150000 ton beast) That serves as a hub for fleet activities with a flag bridge, fuel and maintenance supplies, and even troop transport.  It shows up quickly on enemy sensors and is a magnet for damage.  Using the large ship and a compliment of PD frigates and AMM cruisers, It's easy to create a successful diversion that will allow FACS, Fighters, or Destroyers to maneuver into position to flank enemy ships, bombard planets, or secure JPs.  The downside is that you have to trust in your capital ship's anti-missile capabilities and hope that it has the speed to draw enemy ships away in time.  If you're successful, you can eliminate enemy colonies without the need for entirely destroying the enemy fleet.

[Peter Rhodan]

I have developed a similar tactic/fleet composition - I have a force if light but fast ships with oodles of size 1 AMM. These engage the enemy and exhaust their missiles and then go over to slowing down and damaging the bad guys with their remaining size 1 missiles - meanwhile the heavies now begin closing the range and then go for point blank position on the now slowed enemy with their masses quad guass turrets.......
The big ships also have size 3 missiles to use on their approach and some lasers but that is  the basic plan...  it's amazing how much damage guass turrets can do in 1 5 second action phase.....