Star Citizen Perseus vs Polaris: Which RSI Ship Should You Choose?

The RSI Perseus and RSI Polaris solve different large-ship combat problems. The Perseus is a 100-meter Heavy Gunship centered on four crew-operated Size 8 ballistic cannons. The Polaris is a 181-meter Corvette that adds Size 10 torpedoes, a fighter hangar, medical facilities, 576 SCU of cargo, and a much broader fleet-support role.

For players comparing the two as ownership choices, crew availability is just as important as raw capability. A pilot and two main gunners are enough to activate the Perseus's defining S8 batteries. The Polaris gives a crew considerably more systems to work with, but those systems are spread across a much larger ship.

That does not create a universal winner. It creates a fairly clear trade-off: the Perseus concentrates combat capability into a smaller gunship, while the Polaris trades additional scale and staffing demands for a much wider fleet role.

For detailed Perseus specifications and weapon mechanics, see the Star Citizen Perseus Guide. For a deeper look at day-to-day ownership, crew availability, and operating friction, see the Star Citizen Perseus Review.

Perseus vs Polaris Quick Comparison

CategoryRSI PerseusRSI PolarisPractical Difference
Role	Heavy Gunship	Corvette	Focused gunship vs broader fleet platform
Length	100 m	181 m	Perseus has the smaller footprint
Crew	6	12	Polaris has more crew capacity and more systems to cover
Primary offensive identity	4 × S8 ballistic cannons	S10 torpedoes plus larger turret network	Sustained heavy gunfire vs capital strike
Torpedo class	S5	S10	Polaris carries substantially heavier ordnance
Cargo	96 SCU	576 SCU	Polaris supports much larger logistics loads
Fighter hangar	No dedicated fighter hangar	Yes	Polaris can deploy and support another combat craft
Medical	No dedicated medical facility	4 × T2 beds	Polaris adds onboard medical support
Shields	211,200 HP	648,000 HP	Polaris has a much larger current shield pool
SCM speed	150 m/s	145 m/s	Perseus is slightly faster in SCM
NAV speed	1,050 m/s	940 m/s	Perseus has the higher current NAV speed
Listed MSRP	$800	$975	Perseus has the lower listed pledge value
Standard in-game purchase	39,690,000 aUEC	No current standard aUEC listing	Perseus can currently be acquired through a standard in-game purchase

The numerical data above comes from version-locked Alpha 4.10.0-LIVE.12519617 game-data references. The Star Citizen Wiki API used for those values is a community-maintained data service rather than an official RSI database; official CIG Q&As are used separately for design intent and role comparisons.

Different Ships, Different Combat Priorities

The most useful distinction between the Perseus and Polaris is not price. It is how each ship creates combat value.

CIG's 2026 Perseus Q&A describes the Polaris as much larger, with a hangar, more guns, more missiles, and S10 torpedoes. The same comparison describes the Perseus as smaller and more maneuverable, while acknowledging that it would have a harder time confronting larger capital ships head-on.

The Perseus is therefore much more concentrated. Two manned turrets carry four S8 RSI Medusa ballistic cannons, supported by S3 weapons, point-defense systems, and S5 torpedoes.

The Polaris spreads its value across a much larger set of systems. Its S10 torpedo battery is only one part of a package that also includes multiple manned turrets, seven PDCs, a fighter hangar, medical facilities, and enough cargo capacity to support longer operations.

That difference carries through almost every other part of the comparison.

Direct-Fire Combat Favors the Perseus

The Perseus has the cleaner layout for a crew specifically interested in sustained heavy gunfire.

Its two main turrets carry four S8 Medusa ballistic cannons in total. Current Alpha 4.10 data lists 900 rounds per Medusa in the standard configuration.

Because the guns sit in manned turrets, the gunners can track targets independently of the pilot's exact nose direction. CIG also notes that these cannons do not share a torpedo's minimum-range restriction and cannot be intercepted by point-defense systems.

That gives the Perseus a consistent way to pressure large targets without making every major damage opportunity depend on a missile solution.

The crew requirement is relatively easy to understand as well. One pilot and two turret gunners activate both S8 batteries. That is not full staffing, but it is enough for the ship's primary offensive system to function as intended.

The Polaris has substantial gun coverage of its own, but direct gunfire is only one element of a much broader combat package. A group that specifically wants the S8 turret experience may therefore find the Perseus more focused, even though the Polaris has greater total capability.

The Polaris Brings Capital-Scale Strike Capability

The Polaris separates itself most clearly through its Size 10 torpedoes.

Its current configuration carries 28 S10 torpedoes, arranged across four torpedo systems. These weapons give the Polaris an engagement option that the Perseus's S5 ordnance does not attempt to duplicate.

CIG describes the Polaris as a strategic combat platform capable of delivering heavy damage against large targets with its torpedoes and other weapons. This makes it better suited to situations where capital-scale ordnance is part of the fleet plan.

The Perseus carries up to 40 S5 torpedoes when its reserve storage is included, but those weapons supplement the S8 guns rather than define the entire ship. Twenty are available through the current launch racks, while another twenty can be stored as reserve ordnance and manually transferred.

For owners, the distinction is more useful than simply comparing ammunition counts. The Perseus can spend an engagement applying repeated direct-fire pressure. The Polaris has access to much heavier torpedo strikes but also brings the logistics and tactical considerations associated with a larger capital weapon system.

Head-to-Head: Why the Polaris Has the Advantage

CIG has already addressed the basic head-to-head matchup.

The 2026 Perseus Q&A says that a well-crewed Polaris would outmatch a Perseus in a direct engagement, while noting that the smaller Perseus retains enough maneuverability and heavy firepower to threaten larger ships, especially when several operate together.

Current Alpha 4.10 figures reinforce the difference in defensive scale without proving a simple time-to-kill result. The Perseus has a 211,200 HP shield pool, while the Polaris has 648,000 HP of shields.

Shield HP is only one part of combat survivability. Positioning, armor behavior, component damage, crew response, weapon matchups, engineering, and current balance all affect what happens in an actual fight.

The Perseus does hold a mobility advantage on paper. Its current SCM speed is 150 m/s versus 145 m/s for the Polaris, and its NAV speed is 1,050 m/s versus 940 m/s.

That mobility helps a Perseus crew seek useful turret angles, but it does not turn a one-on-one engagement with a fully crewed Polaris into an even matchup.

Crew Changes the Ownership Experience

Current Alpha 4.10 data lists six crew for the Perseus and twelve for the Polaris.

Those numbers should not be read as hard minimums required merely to leave the hangar. They describe ships with very different amounts of crew-supported capability.

The Perseus can center a combat session around three key positions: pilot and two main S8 gunners. Other players improve secondary coverage, engineering response, and redundancy, but the core weapon system is already active.

The Polaris has more combat stations and more operational systems competing for attention. Its current layout includes multiple manned turrets and dedicated torpedo functionality, while the ship itself also creates practical tasks around engineering, fighter operations, logistics, and internal movement.

Those are operational roles rather than twelve formally named gameplay professions, and not every activity requires someone permanently assigned to each one.

The important ownership consequence is flexibility. More people aboard a Polaris can contribute to more parts of the ship, while a reduced crew has to decide which functions matter most during a particular operation.

This is where the existing Perseus Review becomes useful: the smaller ship still has real crew dependency, but its defining combat role becomes available relatively early as players join.

The Polaris Earns Its Extra Scale Through Support Systems

The strongest argument for moving from a Perseus to a Polaris is not simply that the Polaris is bigger. It is that the extra space contains capabilities the Perseus does not offer.

Fighter Hangar and Ship Hangar Services

The Polaris has a dedicated fighter hangar; the Perseus does not.

CIG's Polaris Q&A describes the hangar around an Aegis Sabre-sized craft, while acknowledging that other workable configurations may be possible.

The hangar also has more practical value under current gameplay than older Polaris material suggested.

With Alpha 4.8, CIG introduced Ship Hangar Services T0 and included the Polaris among the supported vessels. Compatible ships aboard a supported host can request repair, hydrogen and quantum refueling, ballistic ammunition, countermeasures, and missile replenishment when the appropriate physical resources are available on the host ship's cargo grid.

This means the Polaris can do more than transport a fighter. Properly stocked, it can help return that craft to service during an extended operation.

Medical and Logistics

Current Alpha 4.10 data lists four Tier 2 medical beds aboard the Polaris. The Perseus has no comparable dedicated medical facility.

The Polaris also carries 576 SCU, compared with 96 SCU on the Perseus.

That cargo capacity is useful beyond commodity hauling. Ship Hangar Services consumes physicalized resources from the cargo grid, so part of the hold can directly support fighter servicing. The remaining capacity gives a fleet room for supplies, equipment, vehicles, ammunition-related logistics, or recovered material.

The Perseus's 96 SCU remains useful for a combat ship, but the Polaris is much better equipped to support an operation that continues after the first engagement.

PvE and PvP Change the Value of Each Ship

Neither PvE nor PvP produces a universal answer because mission type, crew quality, ammunition use, escorts, and target selection all matter.

PvE

The Perseus has a straightforward role when PvE content provides large ships that justify S8 fire. A three-player core crew can keep both main batteries active without needing to coordinate the wider range of systems available aboard the Polaris.

The Polaris becomes more attractive when the activity benefits from features beyond direct gunfire. S10 torpedoes can matter against heavier targets, while the hangar, medical facilities, cargo capacity, and ship servicing allow one hull to support a broader operation.

A short combat-focused session and a long organization event therefore produce different value calculations. Crew size alone should not decide the outcome.

PvP

The same caution applies in PvP.

A crewed Perseus can bring its S8 batteries online with relatively few players, but it still benefits from support against fast threats. The Polaris offers stronger shielding, heavier torpedoes, additional defensive systems, and the option to bring a fighter, giving a coordinated fleet more tools to work with.

Those advantages also make the Polaris more complex to use near its full potential.

Without current controlled Alpha 4.10 combat statistics, it would be too strong to claim that one is generally the more practical PvP ship for every small or large organization. Fleet composition and the targets each group expects to face are more useful deciding factors.

Price and Current Acquisition

The current version-locked data lists the Perseus at an $800 MSRP and the Polaris at $975 MSRP.

These figures should remain separate from temporary Warbond offers, CCU prices, historical pledge prices, and third-party marketplace listings.

The Perseus also has an important current acquisition advantage: in Alpha 4.10 it is listed for 39,690,000 aUEC at Astro Armada in Area18.

The standard Polaris does not currently have an equivalent standard aUEC purchase listing in the same Alpha 4.10 vehicle data.

For an undecided group, that makes the Perseus easier to evaluate without first making a permanent real-money ownership decision. A crew can buy one in-game, spend time using the S8 turret workflow, and see how often the ship actually fits its sessions.

That does not make the Perseus inherently better value than the Polaris. It simply gives players another acquisition path that is currently available.

Choose the Perseus If...

Choose the Perseus if the feature drawing you to these ships is the heavy-gunship experience itself: a pilot positioning the vessel while two gunners work the S8 batteries against large targets.

Its smaller hull, higher current mobility figures, lower listed MSRP, and current aUEC purchase option reinforce that focused role.

The main trade-off is easy to identify. You do not get the Polaris's fighter hangar, medical bay, S10 torpedoes, 576 SCU logistics capacity, or equivalent fleet-support infrastructure.

Choose the Polaris If...

Choose the Polaris if those additional systems are central to what your group wants to do.

A crew planning around capital torpedoes, fighter deployment, medical support, ship servicing, and sustained fleet logistics has reasons to use the Polaris that have little to do with whether its guns outperform the Perseus's S8 batteries.

Its higher capability ceiling comes with a larger ship and more systems demanding crew attention. That trade is most valuable when the extra functions will actually be part of your operations rather than features that remain unused.

Perseus vs Polaris Final Verdict

The most useful way to separate these ships is by role concentration.

The Perseus concentrates its value in heavy direct-fire combat. It is smaller, more maneuverable in current data, and its defining S8 batteries become available once a pilot and two main gunners are working together.

The Polaris spreads its value across an entire fleet platform. S10 torpedoes, much stronger shields, a fighter hangar, current Ship Hangar Services, medical beds, and 576 SCU of cargo give it far more operational breadth.

CIG's own comparison also sets an important limit on the Perseus: a well-crewed Polaris is expected to have the advantage in a head-to-head fight. That does not make the Perseus redundant. It confirms that the two vessels occupy different levels of fleet combat.

The better ownership choice is the ship whose defining systems match what your group will actually use. If the attraction is sustained S8 gunship combat, the Perseus has the cleaner proposition. If the plan extends to capital strike, fighter support, medical recovery, and long-duration fleet logistics, the Polaris offers the broader platform.

Compare Current Perseus and Polaris Options

Players who have already decided which ship fits their fleet can compare current third-party Perseus listings on LTI Hangar or Polaris listings on LTI Hangar.

Marketplace note: These are third-party offers rather than transactions through the official RSI pledge store. CIG states that grey-market or third-party pledge transactions are not authorized, supported, or condoned by CIG, and that it cannot provide transaction assistance when third-party trades go wrong.

FAQ

Is the Perseus better than the Polaris?

They emphasize different roles. The Perseus is a focused Heavy Gunship built around four S8 cannons, while the Polaris adds S10 torpedoes, a fighter hangar, medical facilities, much more cargo capacity, and broader fleet-support capability. CIG also states that a well-crewed Polaris should have the advantage in a direct head-to-head engagement.

Which ship needs more crew?

Current Alpha 4.10 data lists six crew for the Perseus and twelve for the Polaris. Neither figure should be interpreted as a strict requirement just to operate the ship, but the Polaris has substantially more systems and combat stations for a crew to cover.

Does the Polaris have a hangar while the Perseus does not?

Yes. The Polaris has a dedicated fighter hangar; the Perseus does not. Current Ship Hangar Services also allow the Polaris to repair, refuel, and rearm compatible carried craft when the necessary resources are stocked aboard.

Which has better weapons?

The answer depends on the target and type of engagement. The Perseus specializes in sustained direct fire from four S8 ballistic cannons. The Polaris carries much heavier S10 torpedoes alongside a broader turret and defensive network. They are different weapon packages rather than simple upgrades of the same concept.

Can you buy both ships in-game?

The Perseus currently has a standard Alpha 4.10 purchase listing for 39,690,000 aUEC at Astro Armada in Area18. The standard Polaris does not currently have an equivalent standard aUEC purchase listing in the version-locked Alpha 4.10 vehicle data used for this comparison.