---
title: 'Scanner'
---

# Scanner

![Scanner](images/scanner.png)

A scanner is sent to a planet to take a picture of the surface of a planet and email it to you. This
picture will not tell you the levels of the [buildings](/wiki/buildings/) however. For that you need
the [Surveyor](/wiki/surveyor/) which also provides a picture of the planet.

Scanners are also useful as the first wave of any attack. Since they are cheap, you can flood a
planet with scanners before the main attack and cause the defender to [waste](/wiki/waste/)
[drone](/wiki/drone/)s shooting them down instead of your more expensive [ships](/wiki/ships/).
Scanners are also frequently employed to get past SAWs in a planetary system. If timed right a wave
of Scanners go arrive just before a [Stake](/wiki/stake/) or a [Colony Ship](/wiki/colony-ship/)
causing the SAWs to go into their 5 minute cool down period allowing the [Stake](/wiki/stake/) or
[Colony Ship](/wiki/colony-ship/) to arrive unharmed.

#### Requirements

- [Intelligence Ministry](/wiki/intelligence-ministry/) Lvl 5

**Categories:** [Ships](/wiki/#ships)