Zette Faen Fast Start Guide

How to win in Ship + Crew Combat and unlock Zette Faen in less than Five Years.

SECTION 100 – Setup

110 - INTRODUCTION – Star Traders: Frontiers is a fantastic open-world science-fiction RPG that supports a wide variety of different strategies and play styles. However, the first few in-game “years” can be challenging as you avoid destruction while building a viable ship and crew. This guide explains how to build an ideal “mid-game” ship – flexible enough for any play style – and unlock the extremely powerful contact Zette Faen by the start of the sixth year (215.01).

120 – THE GOAL – By the start of Year 6 (215.01) complete the following:

• Upgraded mid-game ship capable of winning any early game ship battle
  
• Full combat crew team capable of winning any early game crew battle
  
• Finish the Main Story Missions through the Zette Faen Story Arc

121 – WHY THESE GOALS? – Some players decide not participate in ship combat, crew combat, or Main Story Missions. They jump right into a single strategy – Trading, for example – and ignore everything else. That’s perfectly fine. However, the purpose of this guide is to give you a build that is as flexible as possible by the start of Year 6. At that point, you can choose any strategy and be successful with it.

Why complete the Zette Faen Story Arc? First, defeating the Vatborn Monster, the first “boss monster” in the game, is a great way to check that you have a top-tier Combat Crew Team. Second, Zette is a phenomenal contact who will greatly benefit you in the mid and late-game. She typically offers Salvage Rumors, Specialist Gear, Black Market Access, Spy + Scientist Recruits, and many other benefits.

130 – STARTING TEMPLATE – Here’s how to set up your Starting Template:

• A or B – ATTRIBUTES
  
  
• A or B – SKILLS - This build allows for the maximum Attribute and Skill points for your Captain. Customize them any way you wish.
  
  
• C – CONTACTS
  
• #1 - FDF Commander – Offers Military Officer recruits which are necessary for an “unhittable” ship. NOTE: You will need to complete the “Call of the Strong” to unlock this Starting Contact.
  
• #2 - Politician – Offers Diplomat recruits which increase mission payments and mitigate rep loss during Negotiation Missions.
  
• #3 / #4 - <<Your Choice>> – Any Starting Contacts of your choice, preferrable something that aligns with your end-game goals. Contact #3 will be located in your Starting Quadrant. Contact #4 will likely be located in a different quadrant.
  
  
• D – SHIP - Reach Vindex – Any $200K ship will do. If available, the Reach Vindex is the best option because it starts with a huge fuel tank and requires no upgrades other than Passenger Cabins and Prison Cells. Our goal is to switch out of this ship as quickly as possible. NOTE: You will need to complete the “Salvage Contractor” to unlock the Reach Vindex.
  
  
• E – EXPERIENCE – always an “E” priority for me.

131 – WHY THIS SHIP? –Why not start with a good “A” priority ship – like the Degla Megalift – or even a solid “C” priority ship – like the Paladin Cruiser? Four reasons:

• Captain Build - “A” and “B” priority ships prevent you from having the best Captain possible. This build allows for any strategy, some of which require fully decked-out Captains.
  
• Starting Contacts – Using priority “C” for Contacts give you three Contacts in your Starting Quadrant, including the FDF Commander, the Politician, and one Contact of your choosing. This sets up you up well for the early and mid-game.
  
• Upgrading in Dry Dock – Some ship components take a long time to install. Installing components on your starting ship eats up valuable time in the early game. By installing them on your mid-game ship while it’s still in Dry Dock, you can continue to complete missions with your starter ship while you wait.
  
• Travel Time – The smaller “D” priority ships usually have much higher Speed than their larger counterparts, allowing you to travel between planets faster.

140 – LAUNCHING THE GAME – Use the following setting when you launch your game:

• CHANGE MAP – Use any Map of your choice.
  
• CHANGE FACTION – Pick any Faction of your choice. Ideally, you Faction should align with your end-game goals.
  
• CHANGE DIFFICULTY – Pick any difficulty of your choice. I typically play on HARD, because it allows for all Unlocks but is a bit more forgiving of minor mistakes than IMPOSSIBLE.
  
• Click “YES” for MANUALLY ASSIGN TALENTS.
  
• Skip the Intro if you want.
  
• Prepare your captain’s appearance however you want.

SECTION 200 – Starting Crew & Officers

210 – STARTING STANDARD CREW – After starting the game, land on a planet and make the following changes to your Standard Crew:

• Dismiss 4x Gunners
  
• Dismiss 1x Pistoleer
  
• Dismiss 2x Soldiers
  
• Dismiss 1x Swordsman
  
• Add 3x Crew Dogs
  
• Add 1x E-Tech (available at Lux Pop / High Tech / Orbital)
  
• Add 2x Gundeck Bosses (available at Military >6)
  
• Add 1x Mechanics (available at Starport >7)
  
• Add 2x Pilot (available at Starport >4)
  
• Add 1x Navigator (available at Spice Rating >5)

Here are the recommended Talents for your Standard Crew:

5x Crew Dogs

• Crew Dogs provide Skill Saves and Rumors.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 5x Safety Protocols – SHIP OPS Skill Save.
  
• Level 6 / Rank 5 – 5x Talk in the Hall – Learn Rumors when Spicing.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 5x Battle Damage Repair – Fixes ship after Ship Combat.

5x E-Techs

• E-Techs provide Skill Saves and New Contacts. They also provide one of the best Ship Talents in the game, Vigilant Scanners.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 5x Hotwire – ELECTRONICS Skill Save.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 –5x Listening Post – New Contact when landing in Urban Zone.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 5x Vigilant Scanners – Buffs ship with +25% Accuracy & Defense.

2x Gundeck Bosses

• Gundeck Bosses provide a variety of useful Skill Saves. They are also useful in the late game when facing Small Craft in Ship Combat.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 2x Snarling Judgment – INTIMIDATE Skill Save.
  
• Level 6 / Rank 5 –2x Meticulous Checklist – REPAIR Skill Save.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 2x Thorough Service – SHIP OPS Skill Save.

2x Mechanics

• Mechanics provide Skill Saves and discounted Component Upgrades.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 3x Careful Testing – REPAIR Skill Save.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 3x Greaser Reaction – SHIP OPS Skill Save.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 3x Helpful Hands – Discounts Component Upgrade by 10% + Repair.

4x Navigators

• Navigators provide Skill Saves, New Contacts, and reduced Hyper Warp costs.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 2x Read Charts - NAVIGATION Skill Save.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 2x Exacting Design - TACTICS Skill Save.
  
• Level 6 / Rank 5 – 4x Efficient Route – Reduces Hyper Warp fuel cost by 4 + Navigation.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 4x Talk of Far Worlds – New Contact when Spicing.

6x Pilots

• Pilots provide Skill Saves, Ship Combat boosts, and Spying card removal..
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 3x Expert Maneuver - PILOT Skill Save.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 3x Sure Landfall – Lands efficiently on a World.
  
• Level 6 / Rank 5 – 3x Expert Maneuver - PILOT Skill Save.
  
• Level 6 / Rank 5 – 3x Sure Landfall – Lands efficiently on a World.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 3x Swift Sweep – When Spying, remove a Risk Card.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 3x Evasive Maneuvers – +25% Defense.

220 – STARTING OFFICERS – Here are the recommended Jobs & Talents for your Starting Officers. NOTE: You will be replacing your starting Officers very early on, so it doesn’t much matter what jobs you assign them. You goal is to maximize DOCTOR and COMMAND Skill Saves in the early game.

1x Captain ***

• Your choice based on your end-game strategy.

1x Engineer – Engineer
1x Doctor – Doctor / Quartermaster / Commander
1x Quartermaster – Doctor / Quartermaster / Commander

• NOTE: You will be replacing your starting Officers very early on, so it doesn’t much matter what jobs you assign them. You goal is to maximize DOCTOR and COMMAND Skill Saves as well as free ship repairs in the early game.
  
• Port Maintenance (E1) – Upon landing, automatically repairs ship.
  
• Medical Staff (D1) – DOCTOR Skill Save.
  
• Stern Leader (QM1) – COMMAND Skill Save.

230 – STARTING CREW & OFFICERS STRATEGY – Your goal in the early game is to maximize Skill Saves, avoid ship combat, and generate money as quickly as possible. This build includes 2-3x Skill Saves for the most common events during ship travel. As you enter the mid-game, you start to generate lots of Contacts with skills like Listening Post and Talk of Far Worlds.

SECTION 300 – “Prove Your Charter” Rush: The First Half Year (210.03 – 210.29)

310 – MAIN STORY MISSION – COMPELLING PASSENGER

• Deadline: 39 Weeks
  
• Route: 1 Stop
  
• Type: Planet Visit
  
• Reward: N/A
  
• This is the first mission assigned at the start of the game. It’s a simple one-way visit to the specified planet. Complete this mission as fast as possible.

320 – MAIN STORY MISSION – ARBITER ESCORT

• Deadline: 39 Weeks
  
• Route: 1 Stop
  
• Type: Passenger Transport* (Does not require an available Passenger Cabin)
  
• Reward: $10K
  
• New Contact: Calagan Faen
  
• Another easy mission. Although it’s a Passenger Transport Mission, it doesn’t require an open Passenger Cabin. Complete this mission as fast as possible before Week 20 (see below).

330 – “PROVE YOUR CHARTER” MISSIONS – For the first 18 weeks (210.03-210.21) your Starting Contacts will offer “Prove Your Charter” Missions. These are typically easy Planet Visit Missions in the starting Quadrant. Complete as many of these missions as you can before 210.21! They provide you with a bit of cash, build Faction Rep with your starting Faction, and don’t harm your Rep with the other Factions. I recommend prioritizing these missions in the following fashion:

• Data Cube Delivery – HIGH PRIORITY – Quick and easy. Accept as many of as possible.
  
• Passenger Delivery – MED PRIORITY – Buy additional Passenger Cabins as necessary.
  
• Commodity Delivery – LOW PRIORITY – Ignore these missions unless you can easily purchase/haul these goods in one trip (<25 units, available for sale in the Starting Quadrant).
  
• Multi-Quadrant Missions – NO PRIORITY – Jumping quadrants takes too much time; ignore these missions for now.

331 – MORALE BOOST vs REP BOOST – When you complete a mission you are typically give two choices:

• “Spice Hall/Beer” / Morale Boost – Takes 2-5 days; provides a low Rep gain
  
• “Official Palace Meeting” / Reputation Boost – Takes 5-10 days; provides a High Rep gain

In the early game I strongly recommend always selecting the “Spice Hall/Beer”/Morale Boost option. Because you can complete more missions in the same amount of time this option provides a similar amount of Contact Reputation but yields vastly more Cash and Contact Influence.

340 – REASONS TO RESTART THE GAME (!!!) – In the first 2-3 weeks of the game you might encounter two possible reasons to consider restarting the game:

• Bad Mission Selection – Sometimes, your Starting Contacts offer exclusively difficult Commodity Delivery and Multi-Quadrant Missions. Poor mission choices in the early game will significantly stunt your rapid progress. I recommend a restart.
  
• Unfavorable Conflicts – When you start the game your Starting Faction will already be engaged in two Conflicts, an Alliance Conflict and a Trade Ban Conflict. As you’ll see in the SECTION 400 below, these Conflicts work well with your Starting Contacts. Additionally, in the first 2-3 weeks several more Conflicts arise among random Faction pairs. If an unfavorable conflict appears involving your Starting Faction, you may want to restart the game. Unfavorable conflicts will make finding the right missions in the early game much more difficult.

Unfavorable Conflicts for your Starting Faction (Early Game)

• Duel of Assassins – Impacts both Diplomatic & Military Missions (Negative)
  
• Trade War – Impacts both Diplomatic & Military Missions (Negative)
  
• Spy War – Impacts both Diplomatic & Military Missions (Negative)
  
• Solar War – Impacts both Diplomatic & Military Missions (Negative)

Favorable Conflicts for your Starting Faction (Early Game)

• Trade Ban – Impacts only Diplomatic Missions (Negative)
  
• Alliance – Impacts both Diplomatic & Military Missions (Positive)
  
• Trade Alliance – Impacts both Diplomatic & Military Missions (Positive)

350 – WRAPPING UP “PROVE YOUR CHARTER” – When the calendar hits 210.21 your Contacts will cease offering easy “Prove Your Charter” Mission. I recommend visiting every contact right before 210.21 and have them offer up as many “Prove Your Charter” Missions as possible. Even if you can’t immediately accept them, they’ll typically remain available under “Mission Offers” for a few more weeks. By doing this, you can keep running “Prove Your Charter” Missions through 210.29 and beyond.

360 – STATUS CHECK – END OF FIRST HALF YEAR (210.29) – By 210.29 you should have the following:

• Reach Vindex with a few additional Passenger Cabins and no other upgrades.
  
• The full crew outlined above (levels 4-6).
  
• $100-150K in the bank.
  
• ~100 Faction Reputation with your starting Faction.
  
• 20-40 Personal Reputation with each of the four Contacts in your Starting Quadrant.
  
• Completed the Compelling Passenger and Arbiter Escort Main Story Missions.

SECTION 400 – “Alliance” Mission Rush: The First Two Years (210.29 – 212.03)

410 – Starting the Second Half of Year One
Around 210.29 the “Prove Your Charter” Missions start to dry up. It’s time to start the next phase of the early game. To begin with, I recommend taking the following steps:

411 – EDICTS – Purchase the Rank 1 Edict from Calagan Faen for $1,000 and 6 Personal Rep. This will allow you to accept missions that require an Edict.

412 – ADD CREW DIPLOMATS – To prepare for the next round of missions drop 4x of your Starting Crew and replace them with high-level Diplomats. Ideally, you can recruit them between level 8-16:

• Dismiss 2x Gundeck Bosses
  
• Dismiss 1x Pilot
  
• Dismiss 1x Navigator
  
• Add 4x Diplomats

3x Diplomats

• Diplomats provide mission payment boosts, Rep Loss mitigation for Negotiation missions, and lots of Negotiation Skill Points.
  
• Level 1 / Rank 1 – 4x Winning Compromise – Increases mission payments.
  
• Level 6 / Rank 5 – 4x Adept Mediation – Reduces Rep Loss with the opposing faction when completing a Negotiation mission step.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 2x Settlement – NEGOTIATION Skill Save.
  
• Level 11 / Rank 8 – 2x Unyielding Force – INTIMIDATE Skill Save.

413 – BOOST YOUR OFFICERS – You may want to replace your Starting Officers with higher level Contact Recruits. It’s likely one of your Contacts offers Recruits at Level 10+. It doesn’t matter what job they start with. I recommend having one Officer focus on Engineering Talents that reduce Ship/Component costs while having the other two Officers fill up on DOCTOR and COMMAND Skill Saves. For example:

1x <ANY JOB> / Engineer / Mechanic

• Port Maintenance (E1) – Upon landing, automatically repairs ship.
  
• Assisted Installation (E5) – Discounts Ship Component Upgrades.
  
• Hard Bargain (E8) – Discounts Ship Purchases.

2x <ANY JOB> / Quartermaster / Doctor

• Medical Staff (D1) – DOCTOR Skill Save.
  
• Life Saver (D5) – Saves a crew’s life.
  
• Professional Respect (D8) – COMMAND Skill Save.
  
• Stern Leader (QM1) – COMMAND Skill Save.

420 – MISSIONS DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS – Between year 210.29 and 212.03 you’ll focus on two types of Missions, A) Main Story Missions, and B) “Alliance” Missions.

430 – MAIN STORY MISSION – AT FAEN COURT

• Deadline: 1 Year
  
• Route: Talk to Faen
  
• Type: N/A
  
• Reward: N/A
  
• After you deliver the Arbiter, Calagan Faen wants to talk with you. In the Contact Screen, click on the box labeled “We should discuss further work with the Prince” to complete this mission. Complete this mission around 210.29.

431 – MAIN STORY MISSION – ARBITER NEUTRALITY

• Deadline: 2 Years
  
• Route: 3 Stops
  
• Type: Passenger Transport; Spying (Optional)
  
• Reward: $30K
  
• The first step in this mission is to escort Arbiter Brokstrom to the home world of your Rival Faction. For the second step, you have two choices – either a simple Passenger Transport or a riskier Spying Run. I typically take the safe option. Having several Diplomats with the Adept Mediation talent can significantly reduce your Faction Rep loss here. The final step is returning to Faen Court. Try to complete this mission before the end of Year One (211.03).

432 – MAIN STORY MISSION – DELAYED SETTLEMENT [OPTIONAL]

• Deadline: 3 Years
  
• Route: 3 Stops
  
• Type: Visits; Negotiation
  
• Reward: ~$80K
  
• New Contact: Saere Vento
  
• Completely optional. The first step of this mission gives you a new contact, Saero Vento, who provides Warden Missions and high-level Navigator recruits. Similar to Military Missions, Warden Missions ignore Trade Bans but not Alliances, so they are great for generating early cash without incurring Faction Rep loss. Additionally, feel free to drop you low-level Navigators and replace them with higher level ones.

440 – “ALLIANCE” MISSIONS – In addition to the Story Missions outlined above, load up on as many easy “Alliance” Missions as possible! These missions will not generate negative Faction Rep and will significantly boost your Starting Faction’s Conflict Score. Assuming your Starting Faction is only engaged in one “Alliance” Conflict and one “Trade Ban” Conflict, here are the missions your Contacts will offer:

• Calagan Faen (Prince Missions) – Offers neither “Alliance” or “Trade Ban” Missions. Ignore non-story missions for now.
  
• Saere Vento (Warden Missions) – Only offers “Alliance” Missions. Load up!
  
• FDF Commander (Military Missions) – Only offers “Alliance” Missions. Load up!
  
• Politician (Diplomatic Missions) – Offers both “Alliance” and “Trade Ban” Missions. Revisit the Politican frequently and wait until “Alliance” missions are offered before accepting any missions.
  
• Other Starting Contacts (???) – Depends on what additional Starting Contacts you picked.

Unfortunately, your Starting Conflicts will only last for between 1.5-3 years. Run as many “Alliance” Missions as possible until the Conflicts expire!


450 – STATUS CHECK – END OF YEAR TWO (212.03) – By 212.03 you should have the following:

• Reach Vindex with several additional Passenger Cabins and Prison Cells.
  
• The full crew outlined above (levels 8-10).
  
• $600-800K in the bank.
  
• 200-250 Faction Reputation with your starting Faction.
  
• High Personal Reputation and Influence with each of the four Contacts in your Starting Quadrant.
  
• Completed the At Faen Court, Arbiter Neutrality, and Delayed Settlement (Optional) Main Story Missions.

SECTION 500 – Time to Build Your Ship! Year Three (212.03 – 213.03)

510 – PICKING YOUR SHIP – Once you break the half Million Credit mark, it’s time to start thinking about building a solid mid-game ship. The Wolf Vector, the Vrax Hauler, and the Vengeance Class are all very affordable Mid-Game Ships that far out-perform their closest competitors. The 2400 Class ships are unimpressive and limited to niche strategies. The 7000+ Class ships are powerful but wildly unaffordable in the early game. You’ll want to save up +$5M credits and purchase one of these fully loaded Capital Ships for the End Game. DO NOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCH TO THE SHIP YOU PURCHASE. You’ll continued to complete missions with the Reach Vindex while your Mid-Game Ship is upgraded in the Dry Dock.

• 2400 Class – N/A
  
• 3400 Class – Wolf Vector ($525K) **SEE THE GUIDE BELOW**
  
• 5000 Class – Vrax Hauler ($425K)
  
• 6000 Class – Vengeance Class ($530K)
  
• 7000+ Class – N/A

520 – MILITARY RANK – You’ll need at least Military Rank 1 with your Starting Faction to build a ship from one of their planets. At this point in the game I recommend purchasing Military Rank up to Rank 5 from Calagan Faen, who should have plenty of Personal Rep and Influence. Here are the benefits it provides:

• Rank 1 – $1K - +2% Mission Bonus, Unlocks Ship Purchases
  
• Rank 2 – $2K - +2% Mission Bonus, Combat Recruits get +1 Level
  
• Rank 3 – $3K - +2% Mission Bonus
  
• Rank 4 – $4K - +2% Mission Bonus, Unlocks Factor-specific Ship Purchases
  
• Rank 5 – $5K - +2% Mission Bonus, Combat Recruits get +1 Level

530 – THE WOLF VECTOR – Once you have +$550K in the bank and a Level 8 Engineer with the Talent Hard Bargain then it’s time to buy a New Ship! If possible, go to a planet with 10 Starport and 10 Military, which maximizes the available Ship Component Upgrades available. Click on “New Ship” and scroll down to the Wolf Vector (Mass 3400). Let’s view the stats.

ASSUMPTION – You have an Engineer (Rank 8) / Mechanic (Rank 2) Officer with 12 Repair Skill and the talents “Assisted Installation” and “Hard Bargain”.

WOLF VECTOR

• Cost: $493.5K (with 6% Hard Bargain discount)
  
• Max Officers: 6
  
• Max Crew: 30
  
• Base Fuel: 100
  
• Small Components: 11
  
• Medium Components: 6
  
• Large Components: 2

This ship is inexpensive, fast, provides space for 6 Officers/30 Crew, and has a decent number of Ship Component spaces. It’s the perfect early-game combat ship!

540 – UPGRADING YOUR NEW SHIP – Remember, after buying the Wolf Vector DO NOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCH TO THIS SHIP. You’re going to complete all critical Component Upgrades before leaving Dry Dock. At this point in the game, you likely only have one character with a Component Cost Reduction Talent – your Engineer with Assisted Installation (Your Mechanics don’t get Helpful Hands until Level 11/Rank 8). Assisted Installation has a 3-week cooldown. As your money and travel schedule allows, stop by this planet every 3 weeks and add another Component Upgrade to the Queue. Click on “Dry Dock”, select “Customize”, select the Component you’d like to upgrade, click “Purchase”, then click “Queue”. This will allow the work to take place in the background while you run other Missions. DO NOT CLICK “IMMEDIATELY”. This will advance the clock to the point where the upgrade is complete.

550 – RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS – After purchasing your new ship, your goal is to get it fully upgraded and out of Dry Dock in ~1 year. Pump every dollar you earn from Missions into your new Ship Component upgrades. Here are my recommended Ship Component Upgrades. The Components listed below add up to 47 weeks of work with a total cost of ~$525K with the 22% Assisted Installation discount.

551 - LARGE COMPONENTS

M3400: Warhammer -> M3400: Traveler [$2.5K/12 Weeks]

• The Warhammer Engine is not a great fit for this build. It is however a very expensive component, so you can swap it out for a Longhaul/Traveler/Chaser Engine for almost nothing. I recommend the Traveler Engine with 29 Speed. This engine gives you big boost in long range combat and allows you to travel between planets faster.

552 - SMALL COMPONENTS

MISC SMALL COMPONENTS -> 2x Passenger Cabins / Prison Cells [$5.8K/0.5 Weeks each]

• YOUR CHOICE – Pick your favorite Small Components. Pick whatever Small Components fit your strategy. Passenger Cabins and Prison Cells are cheap, quick, and can be replaced later with little regret.

6x Defense Pattern Matrix 2 [$41.3K/5.5 Weeks each]

• DPMs make your ship unhittable. DPM IIs are the best bargain for the early game.

Weapon Locker A1 -> Weapon Locker A6 [$267K/1 Week]

• You want the best weapons for Crew Combat. NOTE: the best way to fund this upgrade is to switch to the Wolf Vector when all of the above upgrades are complete then sell off your starting Reach Vindex!

SECTION 600 – Switching to the New Ship: Year Three (212.03 – 213.03)

610 – WHAT TO DO WHILE UPDGRADING THE WOLF – While your Wolf Vector is completing it’s upgrades in Year Three you have two goals, A) continue to generate cash from Missions, and B) avoid combat at all costs. In order to complete these goals you’ll need to say on good terms will all Factions. Dropping below -20 Rep with a Faction will put you in real danger and dropping below -40 Rep will likely lead to a game-ending Ship Battle.

611 – NEGOTIATION MISSIONS – Once the Alliance Missions dry up, you’ll need to find another way to minimize your Mission Rep Loss. I recommend focusing on Negotiation Missions, which are often provided by your Politician Contact. The Diplomat talent Adept Mediation will negate nearly all the Rep Loss from these missions.

620 – THE SWITCH – As soon as your ship is fully upgraded, switch to it! Your Officer Slots will increase from 4 to 5 and your Crew Slots will increase from 24 to 30. Feel free to sell off your starter ship to fund your Weapons Locker A6. Now it’s time to fill out your staff.

621 – MILITARY OFFICERS – First, make your ship unhittable by filling it with lots of Military Officers. They add a significant amount of Command and Tactics to your ship, increasing your ship defense, offense, and movement capabilities. Recruit one Military Officer, teach it Recruiter’s Eye, then recruit the next one. By recruiting them one at a time with the Recruiter’s Eye talent always available you maximize their Attributes and allow each recruit to start with one Trait revealed. For the rest of the Talent Points, there are lots of great choices – Expert Planning, Power Play, Militant Patrol, Commanding Sweep, Honorable Release, Overriding Discipline, Incite Victory, etc. Spread your Talent Points across a variety of these powerful abilities.

• Dismiss 1x Gunner
  
• Dismiss 3x Diplomats
  
• Add 10x Military Officers

622 – COMBAT CREW – Once your Military Officers are on board, it’s time to start recruiting your Combat Crew. There are plenty of great guides out their outlining the composition of an ideal combat team. Read through them and put together your Combat Crew plan. Here’s what I typically run:

• SLOT 1 – Swordsman / Assassin / Blade Dancer (Sword + Stealth Armor)
  
• SLOT 2 – Soldier / Shock Trooper / Xeno Hunter (Snubber + Heavy Armor)
  
• SLOT 3 – Pistoleer / Combat Medic / Military Officer (Pistol + Heavy Armor)
  
• SLOT 4 – Soldier / Sniper / Bounty Hunter (Sniper Rifle + Normal Armor)

623 – HOW TO RECRUIT THE BEST SOLDIERS – Recruiting directly from a Contact, particularly into an Officer role, yields two benefits over recruiting from a Spice Hall: A) your recruits start at a High Level, and B) your recruits generally have better Attributes. You want your Combat Crew to have the BEST POSSIBLE Attributes and it’s worth spending a lot of cash to make this happen. When recruiting Soldiers, you'll want to recruit from Calagan Faen directly into an Officer Position. Make sure the Recruiter’s Eye talent is always available when recruiting Combat Crew! If you have sufficient money and Personal Rep with Calagan Faen, I recommend Recruiting/Dismissing Officers until you find ones that have ~150 Total Attribute Points (~25 per category) and as high Quickness/Wisdom as possible (these two Attributes determine Combat Initiative).

624 – HOW TO RECRUIT THE BEST PISTOLEERS – If you’re OK with your Pistoleer also having the Military Officer Job, I recommend taking your very best Military Officer crew member and converting them to an Officer. If you followed the steps above you should have 10x Military Officers to pick from, all recruited with the Recruiter’s Eye talent. Alternatively, you could follow the same steps as for the Swordsman below…

625 – HOW TO RECRUIT THE BEST SWORDSMEN – Travel to a world with Military Zone Rating >6 and start recruiting Swordsmen. Note that higher Planet/Zone Ratings generally boost of the attributes of new recruits:

• Zone Population impacts Quickness
  
• Zone Trade Law impacts Wisdom
  
• Zone Government impacts Wisdom
  
• Zone Economy impacts Charisma
  
• Zone Military impacts Strength and Fortitude
  
• Planet Danger impacts Strength, Fortitude, and Resilience

Recruit one Swordsman from the Spice Hall and review its stats. If it has outstanding stats, keep it. If not, dismiss it and try again. Repeat this process until your team is full, you run out of recruits in that world, or you run out of Recruiter Eye Talents. This process takes much longer than recruit from Contacts, but is completely free and can be repeated until you find the perfect recruits!

630 – STATUS CHECK – END OF YEAR THREE (213.03) – By 213.03 you should have the following:

• Wolf Vector with all the upgraded Components outlined above.
  
• The full crew outlined above.
  
• High Personal Reputation and Influence with each of the four Contacts in your Starting Quadrant.
  
• Completed the At Faen Court, Arbiter Neutrality, and Delayed Settlement (Optional) Main Story Missions.

SECTION 700 – Years Four and Five (213.03 – 215.03)

710 – POLITICAL CRUSADE – After talking with Calagan Faen and his family, he’ll assign seven more Main Story Missions for you to complete if you choose. These Mission are more difficult than the ones you’ve completed thus far, but also have bigger payouts and longer deadlines. You can accept as many of these missions as you want, but the one you really care about is Conspiracy In Motion, which is part of Zette Faen’s Story Arc. Ignore all other missions until you defeat the Vatborn Monster. NOTE: These missions will tank you Faction Rep with your opposing Faction. You need to be in your upgraded Wolf Vector with a solid Combat Crew before progressing onto these missions.

720 – MAIN STORY MISSION – CONSPIRACY IN MOTION

• Deadline: 3 Years
  
• Route: 4 Stops
  
• Type: Spying
  
• Reward: Variable Payment
  
• The first step in this mission is to Spy over the assigned planet several times. I recommend teaching your Pilots the Swift Sweep talent before beginning this mission – it makes Spying much easier! When your spying runs are complete, return to Calagan Faen for the next Zette Faen Story Arc Mission.

730 – MAIN STORY MISSION – PULLING THE THREAD

• Deadline: 2 Years
  
• Route: 4 Stops
  
• Type: Spying
  
• Reward: Variable Payment
  
• Accepting this mission will cancel the Story Arc Missions related to Erik and Valencia. For the next year, you’ll be focusing solely on the Zette Faen Story Arc. This mission requires two spy runs and two planet visits.

740 – MAIN STORY MISSION – UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

• Deadline: 3 Years
  
• Route: 5 Stops
  
• Type: Spying, Exploring, Crew Combat
  
• Reward: Variable Payment
  
• This is the final mission before unlocking Zette Faen. You’ll need to complete a spying run and two exploring runs before engaging in two rounds of Crew Combat. The first round is against a “standard” combat crew and the second is against the Vatborn Monster and his friends. The Vatborn Monster battle is challenging but manageable if you have a well-equipped Combat Crew. When the battles are completed, you’ll make a planet visit and unlock Zette Faen as a contact.

750 – WHAT’S NEXT? – It’s entirely up to you! You now have an excellent fighter ship, a rock-solid combat crew, and the best contact in the game at your disposal. You’ve likely picked up a hefty sum of cash along the way. Pick whatever strategy your heart desires and pursue it with passion!

SECTION 000 – My Guides

Here’s a full list of all the guides I’ve written for Star Traders: Frontiers so far. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Starting Quadrants with Three Starting Faction Planets
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3144777870

Millionaire Explorer Guide REVISITED https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3135971608

Marauding Pirate Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3125832745

RTG Smuggler Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3120120607

Zealot Guardian Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3112677227

Non-RTG Merchant Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3110793982

First Blood Commander Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3051041316

Weapon Scavenger Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3043945414

Relentless Bounty Hunter Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3032494871

Fearless Xeno Hunter Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3023912897

Prize Ship Patrol Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3021370224

Love Boat Diplomat Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3015590564

Mad Scientist Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2973898874

Devastating Shock Trooper Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2972421188

Max Contacts Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2971490805

Simple Spy Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2969465004

Deadly Assassin Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2965252564

Millionaire Explorer Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2960277415

Zette Faen Fast Start Guide https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2932475019

[burnhj]

Try using a more condensed starting quadrant, like one of the ones in the guide below. Really focus the “Prove Your Charter” Missions during the first half year and the Alliance Missions during the next year of gameplay. Once you get good at it, you should have A few thousand in the bank by the end of year two.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3144777870

[Jahon]

I can't manage to get more than like $200k by the 212.03 date. I think it's the one jump to get to the Arbiter (using your first custom map you have) taking like 2 weeks. Not to mention buying fule and paying salaries.

I love your guides though. Nice work!

[burnhj]

Hey there! I wrote that guide a few years ago. A little while back they quadrupled the price of the Wolf Vector, making it infeasible for the early game. ☹️

Sword Cutter is a great alternative for the Wolf Vector, although it is specific to Cadar. I also like to run the Vrax Hauler, although it’s a bit slower. I’ve taken a little break from the game recently, so I haven’t even seen the brand-new Wolfpack Interceptor.

Regarding Doctor skill-saves, I recommend putting two of these on your Combat Crew. For example, you could run a Doctor/Combat Medic in slot 3 or 4, or put Combat Medic on two pistol users in slots 2 and 3. Lots of options. You should only need 2x Doctor Skill Saves and you don’t need a dedicated Doctor for your team.

[Use of Weapons]

Great guide! I have learnt a lot so far following it.

However how do you manage doctor levels/saves when you move to the new ship? You have 5 officer slots - 1 for the (non-combat) captain and 4 for combat crew officers; so you are sacking the engineer and both Dr/QM officers. I don't have unlocks for doctor recruitment into the crew. (btw I also don't have unlocks for MOs or the starting ship so using Zealots and a Longbolt instead...)

I was going to go with the Sword Cutter (due to the price increase on the Wolf Vector) but I notice the Wolfpack Interceptor has 6 officer slots, so could keep one doctor if I buy that one. Is this ship much worse than the Sword Cutter or Wolf Vector?

[burnhj]

Ouch! That stinks. The Sword Cutter is just as good if you have Military Rank with Cadar. Alternatively, you could go with the 5000 Mass Vrax Hauler.

[Altare_Lumbee]

The Wolf Vector seems to have significantly increased in price to 2.3m now. Which is weird because im pretty sure I bought one for normal price last week. Could you recommend a different ship for around the same price?

[g0815krieger]

Nice Guide

[burnhj]

Depends on your End Game Goals. If you're strategy primarily revolves around Ship and Crew Combat (such as Xeno Hunting), then the Wolf Vector is actually an excellent End Game Ship. However, if you're focused on Trading or using lots of specialized skills, then you'll probably want to get something that holds 6+ Officers and 36+ Crew.

[Amoc]

What do you advice for late game ship?

[burnhj]

Yep, getting a few unlocks, especially “Call of the Strong” for the FDF Commander, make this run much easier.