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Star Citizen is a game with massive scope and possibilities. The player can experience a wide range of careers from cargo hauling to rescue and reconnaissance. This guide will help players better understand the Bounty Hunting gameplay loop in Star Citizen and how to tackle each mission most effectively.
There are a few factors that go into Bounty Hunting and how to most effectively make a profit when doing so. To begin the player will need to start building a reputation with the Bounty Hunters Guild and the local authorities.
Organizations and the Bounty Hunters Guild 
Star Citizen features a few organizations that players can complete bounties for to level up their faction rank through the Delphi app in the Mobiglass. By focusing on a single organization, the player can quickly level up their rank and unlock more difficult missions to get better rewards. Each faction holds jurisdiction over one of the main planets in the Stanton System.
The player can progress through 7 different levels in the guild, these are:
- Applicant - No Perk
- Probationary Guild Member - Tracker Training Permit
- Junior Guild Member - Tracker Beginner's Permit
- Guild Member - Journeyman Tracker License
- Senior Guild Member - Tracker License
- Veteran Guild Member - Advanced Tracker License
- Guild Steward - Master Tracker License
Each level unlocks a new permit or license that players can use to qualify for more difficult missions. For example, the Advanced Tracker License at the Veteran Guild Member level unlocks Very High-Risk Targets.
Starting Bounty Missions
To start a bounty mission, the player needs to open their Mobiglass using the F1 key and head over to the "contracts manager" tab. From here, head down to the Bounty Hunter page where there will be a range of missions depending on the player's rank and affiliation with the local security team.
If the player is in a location where they may not have a high reputation, they can head to a location where they do or simply begin gaining a reputation in this area.
Bounty Difficulty Levels
As mentioned before, players can level up a specific faction to a higher rank to unlock more challenging missions. These slowly increase in difficulty but do become more rewarding and lucrative as the player climbs to the higher ranks. It will require a more skilled pilot for the higher levels, or at least a more specialized ship to make the job easier. Here's a breakdown of each difficulty and what to expect.
Very Low-Risk Targets (VLRT) are the first type of bounty players will be able to complete once they have their license. These payout at 4,000 aUEC each and only require a small amount of firepower and piloting skills to eliminate a small ship and an escort.
Low-Risk Targets (LRT) are a small step up from the last difficulty but only add a few other enemy ships. The bounty itself won't be any harder to eliminate meaning players can quickly dive in, get the kill and leave without needing to take on too many enemies.
Moderate-Risk Targets (MRT) payout at 7,500 aUEC and require a little more skill from the player to eliminate and escape without paying the ultimate price. The enemy will have a medium-sized ship and several backups to help them. If players have a good enough ship and the right piloting skills, this can easily be completed alone.
High-Risk Targets (HRT) are when things start getting more difficult. This introduces multi-crew ships and multiple escorts for the enemy to utilize. It's recommended that players invest in a more specialized ship at this stage with upgrades as the firepower the enemy can distribute here can be overwhelming at times.
Very High-Risk Targets (VHRT) are at the top end of the Bounty Hunting spectrum. The community general recommends that players use a multi-crew ship here or at least have another player in a separate fighter to help distribute the oncoming attacks. The difference here from the last level is the difficulty of the surrounding ships. Although there aren't necessarily more, they do receive a significant upgrade making it much harder to single out the target.
Extreme-Risk Targets (ERT) are the final difficulty players can unlock through Bounty Hunting. These missions require the player to take on sub-capital ships such as the Aegis Hammerhead with multiple heavy escorts. It's highly recommended that players don't try to complete these alone.
If players are looking for a challenge, they can have a go at the top-end bounties alone to truly test their combat piloting skills. With the right team, the highest level bounties (HRT / VHRT / ERT) can be completed very quickly and chained together to make easy revenue.
Best Ships
With a range of mission types, players have the option to use a range of ships depending on the difficulty they choose to engage with. To begin, players will be able to use a range of starter ships that may not be dedicated towards combat but do support the firepower to partake in this gameplay loop. As players climb up the difficulty ladder, they will likely need more specialized ships to take out the larger targets.
Aegis Gladius
The Aegis Gladius is easily one of the most iconic fighter ships in Star Citizen. This craft supplies some awesome firepower for a single-seater and has great maneuverability to avoid oncoming fire. For those looking to upgrade from their starter ship, this is a great choice.
Having a friend in a separate Gladius can also make for a great combo for the more difficult missions, but for any mission up to the HRTs, the Gladius will hold up well.
Aegis Gladius - 1,169,900 aUEC
Anvil Hurricane
The Anvil Hurricane has quickly become one of the most powerful heavy fighters in the verse with much of the community debating whether it needs a nerf due to its extreme damage output capabilities.
The Hurricane comes stock with 2 size 4 turrets for the pilot (the player can alternatively use 2 size 3 turrets with gimbals which makes it far easier to land shots) and 4 size 3 panther repeaters mounted to a turret on the top of the ship. This firepower makes it easy to take on some of the biggest ships in the game making it great for VHRT.
This ship is only a little more expensive than the Gladius, making it an incredibly economical investment when looking at the possible returns from bounties.
Anvil Hurricane - 1,218,300 aUEC
Aegis Retaliator
For players looking to splash a little more cash, the Aegis Retaliator packs a massive punch with its size 9 torpedoes and size 4 manned turrets. Unlike other ships, the Retaliator excels at extreme ranges, using its torpedoes to deal huge damage that can one-shot almost any ship.
This said the Retaliator trades its extreme damage range for maneuverability, making it an easy target for ships that can close the gap.
Aegis Retaliator - 4,031,700 aUEC
Aegis Hammerhead
The Hammerhead is the pinnacle of ship-to-ship combat in Star Citizen. With 6 manned turrets a crew of 7 can easily take this out into the system and eliminate any target they come across. For those looking to run multiple ERTs, the Hammerhead is the easy choice.
Unfortunately, this is the most expensive ship on this list meaning players will have to save for a while to have access to this war machine. Getting a group of friends together and splitting the cost is a great way of gaining access to such a powerful ship earlier than anticipated.
Aegis Hammerhead - 12,459,900 aUEC
Check out our guide on the best fighter ships for a more in-depth look at some specific options.
Star Citizen is available on PC.