Rock A

You urgently need non-missile offence. Ideally get good weapons, but you really need two weapons to make a reasonable loadout for sector 3, and that can be tricky without some luck. Nevertheless, a single non-missile weapon at least reduces your missile usage, so consider damage-dealers like a Heavy Laser. Even an Ion Blast is good, as it’s cheap and helps against Zoltan Shields.

Seriously consider buying a teleporter, which slots next to the medbay. This fixes your missile dependency and gives you a reliable way to win fights for a long time, as the Artemis is a great boarding support weapon. Boarding is improved a lot by adding hacking, and usually it’s easier to find hacking than weapons.

The Artemis has a 2-point weapons buffer, so delay shield upgrades enough to afford a weapon or teleporter. Selling the Rock Plating and Hull Missile nets you 72 scrap, so you only need to float 18 scrap.

Bear in mind the Hull Missile may still be useful if you bought a teleporter: you might get forced into an Abandoned sector 2. Similarly, consider keeping the Rock Plating if you can: it has a blue option that guarantees a weapon in one reasonably common event in Engi, Rock, and Pirate sectors. Without the blue option, it’s 1/3 chance.

Use missiles as efficiently as possible, but do use them against threatening weapons. Sometimes it might not be worth fighting a Zoltan ship. As a last resort, buy missiles: it’s better than being unable to win fights. Accept missile-heavy surrenders.

When enemy hull is a multiple of 4, consider just using Hull missiles; otherwise, consider destroying piloting with the Artemis to guarantee a Hull Missile will hit. Bear in mind that enemy ships can run away: for example, against a 10-hull enemy, consider starting with a Hull Missile before the Artemis to piloting. If they start running away when the Artemis hits, they have no chance of escape.

Also consider fishing for surrender offers. The typical order of Artemis followed by Hull Missile means you may kill them before their hull is low enough to surrender. Reversing the order might get you a surrender offer with a lot of missiles, and also saves you a missile from the killing blow.

You have three empty system slots to fill, so try to buy your first system a little earlier than usual. Defence drones cover this ship well, as all rooms are outside the blind spot.

Sector 1 distress beacons are worth visiting. You have blue options from Rock crew (good) and Rock Plating (okay).