CRASH COURSE: The Ships

Welcome to your CRASH COURSE on The Ships.

In Wildgate, your ship isn’t just a vehicle. It’s your base of attack, your escape plan, your loot hauler, and occasionally...it's a flaming wreck (but it's your flaming wreck). Each ship has its own vibe, so picking the right one for you and your crew might give you an edge—or a completely different way to play.

No clue what (or how) to fly? No problem! This mostly-comprehensive, slightly-cheeky guide will get you into the jump seat and primed on what's needed to win without turning your ship into scrap. 

SHIP SHAPES: THE BASICS

While each ship has its own unique layout, every ship is built from the same essential parts. Before we open the hangar and let you pick your ride, let's start with a quick tour of these critical components!

• The helm
• The processor
• The reactor
• The probe and ammo stations
• Turrets and hardpoint placements

THE HELM

You wouldn’t have made it into the Reach if you didn’t know the helm is for flying! It also has some extra buttons for emergency brakes, activating your afterburner, raising and lowering shields, as well as using certain installed hardpoints, such as a Smuggler’s Turn.

 

THE PROCESSOR

This is where all the resources that keep you flying should go!

Make sure you top it up with fuel and ice by mining their respective asteroids with your multitool—and drop any ammo you find from loot rooms here, too. You can see the amount of resources remaining on the front panel of the processor as well as on the left-hand side of your in-game map. 

PS - If you play as Sal, you can deposit any cannons, hardpoints, and/or devices you've stolen looted into your processor to recycle them. You may get a unique Sal invention or something you need in exchange! Alternatively, you may get a 42nd stack of ammo. Salvage responsibly. 😎

 

 

THE REACTOR

Ahhh, the burning, beating heart of your ship. 

This majestic piece of machinery has two very important buttons on it:

• First: The "ice" button! It's got a cute little snowflake on it and, when hit, will repair damage done to your hull, healing your ship for a small amount. (This is, of course, assuming you have ice left in your processor.) Using the ice button does have a short cooldown, so be sure to stop, collaborate, and listen to your fellow crew members in order to optimize your ship health and resources. 
  
  
• Second: The Reactor Overload button! It's the big scary one right in the center that can be hit by rival prospectors who want to create some serious chaos. When activated, a Reactor Overload will cause fires to slowly spread throughout your ship. And, if the overload sequence completes...boom goes the dynamite. (That means "it explodes" in elder millennial.) But no need to panic—any one on your crew can hit this button again to disable the sequence at any time.

TL;DR - Klaxons wailing? Ship on fire? Go check the reactor.

 

THE PROBE STATION

Just completed your hyperjump from The Lucky Docks? Or have a bit of downtime between battles?

Hop on one of these to explore the Reach quickly and from the relative safety of your own ship. You can use probes to scan Points of Interest, the Wildgate, fuel and ice asteroids, and rival ships. Rival ships will be temporarily marked on your map after a scan, while anything else will be permanently marked for you and your crew for the duration of the match. 

As the old Auren proverb goes: "Even the smallest probe can change the course of the future."

 

THE RELOAD STATION

This is where you can reload your weapons and abilities—like your Maghook!—so tap this station early and often. (Important note: This is also where rival boarders can reload THEIR weapons and abilities. Worth remembering should you have any uninvited guests...)

 

TURRETS & HARDPOINTS

Once you’ve stolen looted any cannons or hardpoints, you'll need to install them on your ship if you want to use them. Cannons can be mounted into turrets and hardpoints into their respective placements across your hull. 

Similarly, both can be uninstalled—or swapped!—by you and your crew at any point, so don't worry if want to change their layout later. (Worth worrying about, though? The fact that rival crews can do the exact same thing. On your ship. To YOUR loot. The audacity! Stay alert for space theft and, when necessary, go steal your own stolen loot right back.)

🧠 Pro tip: It's quite likely that you'll find more cannons and/or hardpoints than you can install at any one time, so feel free to leave spares on the floor! You may want to hide the good stuff—like Bomb Traps (to prevent any sneaky boarders from sabotaging your own hardpoint) or those extra Plasma Cannons (to prevent hyperfocused Sals from "accidentally processing" them). Totally NOT speaking from experience...

 

YOU'RE ON THE SHIP LIST

(No, really. We're going to list out all the different ships now...)

In Wildgate, there are currently four ships available. Every player begins with one default ship, and the rest can be unlocked simply by playing. Here they are, in no particular order!

• The Hunter
• The Bastion
• The Privateer
• The Scout

HUNTER – HUNTR/S Don’t Miss
Class: Gun Ship

The Hunter is your default starting ship, and a great all-round option even when you’ve unlocked the whole hangar-full. This nimble little craft comes with three forward-facing cannons and one huge advantage: When you drop your shields, you gain speed faster than anything else in the Reach. 

It's got less base health than some of the other ships, so you’ll want to keep moving. But, when flown right, the Hunter is terrifying! Think of it like a space scalpel—sharp, precise, and deadly when it catches someone by surprise. If in doubt? Hunter.

 

BASTION – Absolute Unit
Class: Secure Ship

Some ships are about speed or shooting, this one is about survival. 

The Bastion is a heavy-duty fortress, built to take punishment and keep rolling (rollin’ rollin’ rollin'). It comes with more health than anything else in the fleet, lots of secure doors, and a free security device just for showing up. Strong, sturdy, reliable—your emotional support ship in times of trouble.

You won’t outrun much, and you certainly won’t be sneaky, but you will probably stay alive longer than anyone else. If your crew needs a comfy home while they get used to Wildgate, or you like being the last one standing while chaos unfolds around you, pick the Bastion today!

 

PRIVATEER– So Anyway, I Started Blastin’
Class: Battle Ship

What’s better than having lots of weapons? If More Weapons™ is your answer, meet the Privateer!

Packing a six-turret gun deck that fires projectiles at twice the usual speed, this ship can melt rival vessels in a hurry. With health only the Bastion can beat, you’ve got all the tools to hold your own in pretty much any fight.

While this particular ship won’t win many dance contests, it packs a punch...and then keeps on swinging. If you like to speak loudly and carry a big stick, your ride-or-die ride may just be the Privateer.

 

SCOUT – Blink and You’ll Miss It 
Class: Fast Ship

The Scout is all about movement. It’s the fastest and most agile ship in the game, with the best top speed, tightest turns, and a boost that keeps going when others tap out. You’re trading defense for speed, though—so...try not to get shot?

This ship generally lives or dies by your flying, but boy can it fly. Ducking and weaving behind asteroids, burying laser rams into unsuspecting crews, and leaving just about everyone else in your space dust are all on the menu. If you like to live dangerously, the Scout is here for you.

 

There’s the ship menu for now! Pick your ride, learn its strengths and weaknesses, and try not to fly into things that hurt. Or do, and make it a great story—that’s the Wildgate way.

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