Are there any defences against bomb weapons?
Solution 1:
The Zoltan Shield will absorb bomb damage (as it blocks teleporters). This is only available on the Zoltan Cruiser ship, though.
I've found that the enemy AI tends to put their bomb weapons low on the list when prioritizing weapons, so damaging the enemy weapon system will likely take them offline. As they have low power consumption, though, it's easy for them to repair and repower.
Other than that, bombs are unique in their ability to bypass shields and drones. As you've noted, evasion helps, but otherwise there's nothing you can do but repair the damage.
Solution 2:
I've just noticed something which makes my question less significant - there are no bombs that cause hull damage. I felt there was a sort of imbalance because there was something that could cause me damage without a hard counter, but given that bombs only cause ion/crew/systems/fire damage, this is not as I thought.
Therefore, I propose that the counter to bombs is having crew on hand. The vast majority of bombs simply cause "disabling" damage that is, in itself, purely temporary. The direct effects of a bomb can be completely negated in the long term by repairing breaches and systems, and healing your crew in the medbay. Of course, the short-term effects (e.g. losing your shields for 20 seconds) may lead to more long-term damage, which is why they are useful, but at least they do not directly damage your hull.
Solution 3:
Defenses against bombs include:
- Evasion, as you noted.
- The Zoltan shield blocks bombs, but they damage it in turn when exploding (they appear right outside).
- The "Best Defense" (that is, blowing him up before he shots a lot of bombs at you!).