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Star Citizen allows players to dive into various careers, from cargo hauling to space deliveries. One of the best careers players can dive into is Mercenary missions, commonly confused with bounty hunting.
The main difference here is with the mission objectives. In Bounty missions, players must eliminate a single target whilst taking on other enemies that may be trying to keep the bounty safe. Mercenary missions typically stray away from this style of mission and add some interesting ground combat alongside the removal of pesky space pirates trying to sabotage friendly systems in the Star Citizen universe.
This guide will help players better understand the mercenary missions and gameplay, as well as some tips on how to prepare and the best ships to bring for the ride.
Preparing for Mercenary Missions
Mercenary missions come in a wide variety of types and difficulties, so the player needs to prepare for any circumstance that may be available. Although this isn't essential, it's good for players to practice proper preparation before finding any nasty surprises mid-mission.
Players will want to bring a set of medium-heavy armor. Both will do a great job at protecting the player from some oncoming fire, but the heavy will give a little more freedom when in combat. The heavy armor core will also give the ability to carry a large backpack, giving more opportunities for looting. These can be purchased at most locations around the Stanton system.
On top of this, players will want at least one weapon to take on ground targets in bunker missions or wherever necessary. The C54 is a great inexpensive option, but any other SMG or AR is a good option as most combat will be fairly close range or indoors. This said, players will likely find weapons such as Sniper Rifles or even Rocket Launchers while looting areas. Having a space open on the side of the backpack is always helpful for these circumstances.
Finally, bringing a multi-tool and a stim pistol can help the player in specific circumstances but are definitely not essential to excel in mercenary gameplay. The multi-tool will give the player the ability to move items more freely and loot more effectively. With the 3.18 update releasing soon, players will also be able to repair their ships using the new salvage tool.
Best Ships
There may not be a "best" ship for mercenary gameplay, but there are a few fighter ships (as well as a starter ship) that stand out from the rest as some great options to allow for the versatility that the mercenary missions may bring.
The Aegis Vanguard series of ships is arguably the best way to go here for a few reasons. This ship is easy to pilot alone but really shines in multi-crew gameplay, with a player in the turret seat dealing additional damage. This will be incredibly helpful for missions that require space or atmospheric combat.
The reason the Vanguard is one of the best ships for this mission type is the ability to store cargo in the rear. If a player brings a small cargo box, they can easily store this in the back of the ship to gain additional profits from looting (something other small-medium fighters cannot facilitate).
If the player is looking for a purebred combat ship, the Gladius is another great option as its maneuverability can take on some of the most formidable targets in the verse. As for starter ships, the Aegis Avenger will keep up with other enemy ships in both combat and maneuverability.
For those taking on mercenary missions as a large crew, the Carrack is easily the best ship as its strong firepower and numerous features, such as a med bay, make it incredibly powerful.
Bunker Missions
Bunker Missions are some of the most simple and most common missions players can do in the mercenary section. These require the player to travel to a bunker and infiltrate the lower level to remove pirates. This is usually around 10 enemies, but it is known that more can spawn.
These missions usually come in two different modes. The first consists of the player helping the security to remove the threat inside, meaning they haven't taken control of the facility, and the turrets on the exterior are still friendly.
The other variant of this mission requires the player to "retake" control of the facility, and the turrets will target the player on approach. If this is the case, the player must park their ship behind some terrain and traverse the landscape on foot or use a ground vehicle such as the HoverQuad to reach the facility.
Players will want to be a little cautious here as shooting a security guard can cause the player to gain a crime stat, possibly ending in prison. This isn't the end of the world, as there are plenty of ways to escape, but it will halt the player's mercenary progress.
These missions are a great way for players to start partaking in mercenary missions as they require the player to use a range of skills to complete a job (these missions also pay out a decent amount for the time they take to complete).
URGENT: Boarding Action In Progress
The "Boarding Action in Progress" is one of the most iconic missions in Star Citizen and requires the player to board an Origin 890 Jump and help the onboard security to eliminate pirates.
Once the player has accepted this mission, a Quantum Travel beacon will appear, allowing the player to jump straight to the ship and not have to locate it themselves. Once here, there will be a few ships the player must destroy before safely entering the giant space yacht.
Check out our guide on how to complete this 890 Jump hijack mission for more specifics on how to effectively remove the pirates from start to finish.
A Call To Arms
It's recommended that players accept the "A Call to Arms" mission in the mercenary tab if they plan on taking on any enemies with a crime stat (this includes NPC pirates). For every kill players get against criminals, they will receive 500 aUEC. Although this doesn't sound like much, it does build up over time, making it worth it to accept this contract.
For those accepting mercenary contracts from the "personal" tab, this may not apply as players may be diving into the criminal side of Star Citizen.
Personal Mercenary Missions
Personal mercenary missions, as mentioned before, dive into the criminal side of Star Citizen's gameplay. Although not every mission will involve criminal activity, players need to be careful which missions they accept here. Some of them can lead to an inevitable prison sentence if the correct precautions are not taken.
Check to see what the primary activity of the mission involves and who the mission distributor is, as this will quickly outline whether it involves criminal activity. This gameplay adds a lot of depth to Star Citizen's missions and can break up the monotony of basic bunker clears.
Star Citizen is available on PC.