Verified against the live game, August 2026. Numbers are the current defaults and can shift with balance patches; each galaxy's host also sets its own pace.
Pool versus use
Every warship consumes Maintenance Points (its MP load is on its registry page). Your empire's MP pool comes from infrastructure — repair docks, factories, drydocks and other support structures each contribute capacity. While your fleet's total use fits inside the pool, maintenance is free. The MP card in your nation page shows both numbers and which band you're in.
Going over: the bleed
Exceeding the pool doesn't destroy ships. Instead, every hour of game time you bleed RP equal to a quarter of your overage. Slightly over is a rounding error; massively over is a mortgage. This is deliberately survivable — a short war-burst above the pool is a legitimate tactic. You're renting capacity you didn't build, at emergency prices.
Arrears: when you can't pay
If your treasury can't cover the bleed, the shortfall becomes arrears, and a countdown starts running while you stay over-pool:
- 12 hours in arrears — crew unrest warning. Crews start talking to pirate recruiters.
- 22 hours — mutiny imminent. The warning names the exact ship that will go first: your biggest maintenance hog.
- 24 hours and beyond — one ship defects to the pirate factions every hour, largest MP load first, until you're back under pool or out of arrears.
Yes: your battleship can reappear later, flying pirate colours, on the wrong side of a battle.
Playing it well
Build pool before fleet — a drydock is cheaper than losing the cruiser it would have supported. Use the overage band knowingly for short campaigns, and treat the 12-hour warning as a hard deadline: recycle something, pause builds, or win fast.