Step 1 - Starting ship FRIGATE concentrate on getting Mark III save your research points for Reserve Fuel so you can move twice in each combat round it is easy to get behind the enemy line and take out enemy Frigate's and Destroyer's. Focus you'r Adjustment point's in Armour and Attack put 3 point's into your shields just to give a little buff. So 3 point's in shield 6 point's in armour and 6 point's in damage do this each upgrade from Mark I > Mark II and from Mark II > Mark III by the time you reach Frigate Mark III you will have 6 points adjusted shielding and 12 points adjusted armour and damage. The best asset for the Frigate class is their main gun can fire 360 degree and is kinetic so it ignores about 90% of a targets shield rating. In your fleet you should have a minimum of 2 Mark III Frigate class ships.

Step 2 - Destroyers.
Priority is to get your Destroyers to Mark II after you have set your Frigate's up to Mark III. There are 2 reason's for this. Firstly and most important is Mark II Destroyer unlocks Macro Drive which enables you to teleport to another area to escape or to obtain a tactical advantage on an enemy trying to flank you. Secondly is the Macro drive enables you to teleport near a fleet ship which has depleted shields so you can use your shield boost to bring it back up. Note* Shield boost will not work on completely depleted shield.
You should focus your Adjustment points in armour rating and shields put 3 points into attack just to buff it. So the same as the Frigate class except you are putting 6 points into shields and armour rating and only 3 points into damage.

I will post intermediate ship set up in another guide as this is the first one i have written. I have played many hours in this game so i will list some GENERAL tips while playing.
Tip - 1
You only get to move one fleet per set-up turn so make sure you move your fleet to a star system that is circled. These always contain an asset. Create another fleet if you need to to move to an asset star system. If there is no circle around where you want to move your fleet then look for another fleet to move.
Tip - 2
Check all controlled systems for completed ships or Tacium to be mined. Tacium collectors have a 2 round cool down period and each one increase's the collection by 60 per round.
Tip - 3
Use Tacium Disruptor as much as possible if an enemy is in the next system or even the next one away it will stop them moving within striking range if the system between you and their fleet is Disrupted they cannot enter it and must find a way around.
Tip - 4
Save up your warheads you can bank them so if you are pressed by many factions you can create a 1 ship fleet near them and destroy them with a warhead these also create tacium deposites you can mine. You can create as many 1 ship fleet's as your fleet allowance dictates.