Entire YMMV post.
In .91A after the pretty expected first playthrough using nothing but Capitals, I was using almost nothing except a single player-driven Capital (I like the Conquest), and carriers. Drovers, of course, back then. Who wouldn't? That strategem doesn't work anymore, but I've found a bit of a balance with 6 hangar decks in my fleet (Paragon, Conquest, Dominator [planning on swapping out - just can't slug like I need], Monitors, just swapped two Wolf for two Tempest, two Heron ...and I admit, player-driven Hyperion, may play with a Doom)
Strike craft can and do still throw the balance when the scales are tight, and sometimes I find it difficult to justify the 20 points a Heron costs, until I remember trying to make the same six bays work out of three Condors. Not a good situation, that was, even in a stagnant battle Condors can get flanked by most geographical features, and outmaneuvered by slugs. What I used to do was simply hold a line while the fighters did everything and that flatly doesn't work anymore, and good on it. Mixed fleet composition pays major dividends now, even as I'm still focused on using a Paragon as a distractor and a Conquest as a rotating one-sided hammer, exploiting or creating gaps in the enemy with a Hyperion, I realize I've taken a frigate and am doing half a dozen ship's worth of carriers work now. The strike craft (each Heron has an identical mixed trio of Xyphos, Flash, and Lux, so I can take the losses I expect to, and laugh) mostly do support or exploitation, as I set them to escort their larger ship, and even with one captain Aggressive they stay behind and to the sides, not getting hit too often, and fast enough to reposition as the field evolves.
The big thrust is: Frigates are the new bombers. Strike craft won't do the hammerblows they used to, what they may well do now, instead is create fractures and periodic tactical strikes that allow the real vessels to do the job.
Some personal notes: Monitors are ridiculous. Absolutely stupid. I set monitors to escort either the carriers (who themselves are each escorting a combat cruiser/capital), or to escort the capital itself, and frequently the monitor soaks up everything coming at it and begs for more. Either don't give the AI any more guns and just pump those insane shields, or do something time-synchronized like light mortars so the fortress shield comes down as little as possible. These things aren't force multipliers, they're exponent-ers. Giving a large ship the ability to basically leave, or throw a bone at the enemy that can take an entire fleet's pounding for minutes, and costing 6OP? I'LL TAKE TEN.
Fast versus toughcapitals are not to be underestimated. The Conquest isn't the baddest bone in the bin, but it's definitely fast enough to pick its' engagements, and in an attrition game, options are king. Maximize it by arming one side (I affectionately name mine the 'Broadside') versus big targets, and the backside with some PD and anti-frigate/strike craft stuff. Devastators are cheaper than dual flak, here, with the mounting system, and are tremendously flux efficient versus missiles (a big Conquest enemy from smaller ships, or Salamanders versus unshielded engines). Especially with a survival-oriented Paragon as a battle anchor, the Conquest spinning around the fight with some Monitors keeping things from chewing at it, really gets the job done.
Player-Hyperion, or Doom phase cruiser. Basically cheating. That's really all there is to it. My Hyperion is so good, I cart around a spare chariot for myself for when the CR isn't replenished. Each has two ion repeaters and, of all things, a heavy machine gun (for shields). The shield on the Hyperion with 100CR (or even 85) and the shield mastery improved is very, very, very tough, mine is extended to 360 degrees, allowing me to ignore Salamanders (used to really be my mortal enemy) and also warp into pain spots to disable some engines at a critical moment has typically won me games all by itself, by forcing enemies to stay caught-out so they can be finished off instead of dumping their flux load, pulling back, and recharging. It's also great for pursuit as you can leapfrog through the retreating enemies and disable engines as you go, leaving them for slower ships to gobble them up. I can't believe I waited so long to play with one. It really is cheating.
This hasn't seemed like it helped with the carrier-centric problem much, but what I did do was (forcibly... I bounced off this wall too) discover that carrier spam simply doesn't work in the campaign, and I have to be diverse to get the results I want EVERY time considering the variety of opponents I'll be contending with. Slewing strike craft at the enemy sometimes functions, but often it's a lossy battle, not the win-button it definitely was, and should not be again. I agree with the DRover commentary though, they were definitely too good, and now just aren't. Niche results using them with a pair of Cobra LPC though, as +100% Cobras is better than +1 Khopesh, or Perdition, or Pirhanna.
I haven't played with a Legion yet in 95, but I suggest you try a pair of Herons as your go-to strike carriers, since you only get 6 bays in your maximized perks, get the best, most powerful 6 bays you can. Or three Drovers = 12 Cobras