So, for fun I decided to do a game using only Shadowyards ships (except tugs) so I could properly get to know the mod. here's a few thoughts:
Shamash Frigate - I love this frigate. With two antimatter blasters it's a real ship killer, and speed and phase make it great fun to fly. This is the first time I've really used phase ships this much. Only downside is the AI doesn't seem to great at using it in the above configuration.
Inanna Frigate - I'm too malcoordinated to fly this and keep the guns pointed in the right direction. Useful for sending to capture nav buoys though.
Morningstar Destroyer - nice all-rounder. the sensor drones really help it engage larger ships.
Sargasso Carrier - I only fielded it twice, and both times it got killed. I think it could use more PD
Elysium Cruiser - what does the special weapon even do? seemed completely ineffective when I tried to use it
Tartarus Cruiser - good all-round cruiser, though i didn't use siege mode all that much. I initially rolled with needlers and a hellbore, but kept running out of flux, so switched to using a plasma cannon (yes, that does sound counter-intuitive..) and leaving the front slots empty. Not the most exciting ship to pilot, then then I'm not a big fan of piloting big ships, with the exception of
Scylla Cruiser - what an awesome ship. with two plasma cannons (you may see a pattern) I was the terror of all that I came across. built-in beam feels a bit superfluous - I turned it of, most of the time.
Mimir - I wasn't really feeling it. part of the problem is the built-in gun; there's a epochal delay between the mouseclick and firing, and its performance didn't seem to match up with the advertised 4000 damage
CEPCs - my god, balanced mod weapons! the charges balance out its relative efficiency. I never found much a use for the scatter version, but that could just be my playstyle.
wavebeam - this one, on the other hand, seems somewhat underpowered. even with three of them on the battlecruiser, it failed to make much of an impression.
All in all, I had fun, so thanks for all your hard work