Multiple one-per-faction improvements such as the Hyperion Shrinker do indeed stack. So the more, the merrier.

Well, you could destroy the colony, but why?

I'd like to hear if anyone has had success with a slash-and-burn strategy. I've only destroyed a colony once, when I knew I couldn't hold it at all and wanted to do some significant damage to an opponent.

There have been many times i've destroyed colonies. A couple times it was because I conqured a planet in the borders of an AI. My influence level was very high and I didnt want to piss him off. (I also didnt want to trade him the planet, cause I was already feeling threatened)

A couple other times I've destroyed colonies if my income was having issues. I conquer a planet on my borders, and the planet starts losing money...even more if I try to build it up. If it's not in a strategic place I destroy it sometimes.

Another scenarios is when I'm in a war, and not doing too well. I have defenses...but they're too far from the planet that is getting attacked. Rather than lose ships trying to defend it half-assed....I will wait until the last possible turn and then destroy the colony rather than turn it over to the enemy. By then I have a defensive force waiting for them.

News flash... After many failed attempts to demolish the terraformer project constructed in california,,, Government officials invited a Drengin diplomat to come and press the activation switch for the explosives. By some unexplained mirracle, it worked!.

Our on site reporter asked Joe the builder what he thought of the situation... "yea we have been trying to demolish this building for years but nothing worked, who would of thought that all it took was for a member of a different race to press the button,, yea it is really weird".