Best Dropships in Star Citizen
The Anvil Valkyrie is our overall pick among dedicated dropships in Star Citizen. It was built around infantry deployment, supports up to twenty troops in RSI's official design description, includes a vehicle bay, and still has enough current cargo and crew infrastructure to function as more than a passenger shuttle.
That does not make it the right answer for every landing operation.
The Cutlass Steel is a smaller and substantially cheaper infantry carrier with 18 jump seats. The Esperia Prowler trades conventional cargo and vehicle utility for a compact 16-seat insertion layout, low-signature equipment, and multiple side exits. The Vanguard Hoplite is a smaller long-range squad dropship built around a six-person infantry element.
The Anvil Asgard moves in the opposite direction: it gives up troop-focused accommodations to concentrate on deploying a serious ground vehicle.
At a much larger scale, the Drake Ironclad Assault is a Size 5 Heavy Dropship built around combined-arms logistics. Its current hold can support multiple ground vehicles or small craft, while CIG documented the initial Alpha 4.8 implementation of Ship Hangar Services for vehicles and ships carried inside.
The MISC Starlancer TAC is not classified as a dedicated dropship in the current vehicle record—it is a gunship—but its eight jump seats, two Tier 3 medical beds, 96 SCU, and broader support facilities make it relevant when the group wants to deploy infantry and keep supporting them from the same ship.
The Valkyrie remains the overall recommendation because it combines a documented twenty-person troop role and vehicle deployment in a 48-meter hull with five current crew stations. The Ironclad Assault offers far greater combined-arms capacity, but its 117-meter hull and eight current crew stations move it into a substantially heavier operating class.
The right dropship therefore depends on what you are actually dropping: a small strike team, a large infantry element, a ground vehicle, multiple vehicles or small craft, or an entire support package.
Version note: RSI deployed Alpha 4.10.1 on September 16, 2026. Current ship specifications and recorded aUEC prices below use the version-locked Alpha 4.10.0 community dataset rather than treating older concept sheets as current Live specifications. Alpha 4.10.2 is currently in Evocati-only PTU testing and is not treated as Live data in this article.
Best Dropships at a Glance
| Category | Our Pick | Deployment Focus | Current Cargo | Key Strength | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall Dropship | Anvil Valkyrie | Infantry + smaller ground vehicles | 90 SCU | Up to 20 troops plus a vehicle-oriented bay | High purchase cost and substantial unused capacity with small groups |
| Best Lower-Cost Infantry Dropship | Drake Cutlass Steel | Infantry | 0 SCU | 18 jump seats in a relatively compact hull | Gives up the Cutlass cargo bay for troop seating |
| Best Compact Insertion Dropship | Esperia Prowler | Infantry / low-signature insertion | 0 SCU | 16 drop seats, compact hull, multiple deployment doors | No conventional cargo grid and no vehicle bay |
| Best Long-Range Small-Squad Dropship | Aegis Vanguard Hoplite | Six-person infantry squad | 0 SCU | Small squad insertion from a combat-capable long-range chassis | Limited troop capacity and no conventional cargo |
| Best Heavy Vehicle Dropship | Anvil Asgard | Ground vehicles | 180 SCU when used for cargo | Vehicle-first bay with low crew requirement | No dedicated troop-drop seating |
| Best Large-Scale Combined-Arms Dropship | Drake Ironclad Assault | Multiple vehicles / small craft | 1,440 SCU | Huge hold plus documented Ship Hangar Services implementation and current vehicle/small-craft support | 117 m hull and eight crew stations create major operational overhead |
| Best Squad Support Platform | MISC Starlancer TAC | Infantry + medical + sustained support | 96 SCU | Eight jump seats, two T3 beds, cargo, weapons, and support facilities | Large hull and higher multicrew overhead |
The seat counts for the Valkyrie, Cutlass Steel, Prowler, Hoplite, and Starlancer TAC are supported by official material or current vehicle records. Their current numerical ship specifications are treated separately because several older official reference pages contain dimensions or performance figures that have since changed.
CIG marked the Drake Ironclad and Ironclad Assault Released in Alpha 4.8 in its May 20, 2026 Roadmap Roundup. The current Alpha 4.10 vehicle record classifies the Assault as a Size 5 Heavy Dropship.
What Makes a Good Dropship?
A dropship is not simply a ship with extra seats.
The useful question is whether the ship can deliver the thing the mission needs, unload it quickly, and leave without turning deployment into a logistics problem.
For this article, the editorial recommendations consider:
- infantry deployment capability;
- ground-vehicle deployment;
- current gameplay availability;
- deployment workflow;
- crew overhead;
- support utility;
- acquisition cost.
These are use-case criteria rather than a numerical scoring system.
For infantry, protected seating, equipment access, useful exits, and a sensible route from seat to ground matter.
For vehicle operations, cabin seat count is much less important. Ramp clearance, bay volume, confirmed vehicle support, and the time required to unload matter more.
For a persistent squad operation, medical recovery and cargo may matter after the initial drop. A ship that can insert eight players and then function as a small support base solves a different problem from a ship designed only to put twenty soldiers on the surface.
At the largest scale, the Ironclad Assault adds another question: whether the operation needs multiple ground vehicles or small craft plus onboard support services, rather than a traditional troop-first insertion.
Troop Capacity Is Not Crew Capacity
Dropship comparisons often mix the two numbers.
A pilot, copilot, gunner, or engineer is operating the ship. A soldier in a jump seat is being transported for deployment.
The Valkyrie's current data lists five crew stations, while RSI's dropship description separately supports up to twenty transported personnel. Those figures are not a twenty-five-person operating crew.
The same distinction matters for the Starlancer TAC. Its current dedicated crew summary lists six crew stations, while the older official TAC reference sheet separately lists eight jump seats for infantry.
More Seats Do Not Automatically Mean a Better Drop
A small squad does not gain much from flying eighteen empty seats across a system.
If four people are deploying, a compact ship may be easier to stage, land, unload, recover, and replace if destroyed.
Large troop capacity becomes valuable when the group actually has the personnel to use it.
Ground Vehicles Change the Entire Comparison
A vehicle dropship has a different job from an infantry transport.
The Asgard's reason to exist is not the number of soldiers who can sit in its interior. RSI describes the ship around delivering ground-vehicle reinforcements, while its current Alpha 4.10 record gives it a 180 SCU grid and two-person crew.
The Ironclad Assault expands that idea to a much larger scale by carrying multiple vehicles and small craft in a hold large enough to function as a combined-arms staging platform.
If the ground element begins with a single heavy vehicle, the Asgard may be the cleaner tool.
If the operation begins with several vehicles, support craft, and a larger crew, the Ironclad Assault belongs in the comparison.
Anvil Valkyrie — Best Overall Dropship
The Anvil Valkyrie remains the clearest all-round example of a conventional military dropship.
RSI's official introduction describes it as a heavy dropship capable of transporting up to twenty fully equipped soldiers, with a vehicle bay, speed ramp, VTOL capability, and weapons intended to support the deployment.
The current Alpha 4.10 record lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Crew stations | 5 |
| Cargo grid | 90 SCU |
| Length | 48 m |
| SCM speed | 207 m/s |
| NAV speed | 1,110 m/s |
| Ship HP | 90,053 HP |
| Shield HP | 21,120 HP |
| Weapon racks | 20 |
| Rifle slots | 20 |
| Recorded Stanton purchase price | 19,845,000 aUEC |
These values come from the version-locked current-data record rather than the Valkyrie's older launch specifications. The historical introduction is used for its troop and deployment role, not to override the current 48-meter Alpha 4.10 hull.
Why the Valkyrie Remains the Overall Pick
The Valkyrie combines three capabilities that many alternatives split apart.
It transports a substantial infantry element. It has a vehicle-oriented bay. And it includes dedicated weapon storage for the people being deployed.
That makes it especially relevant to an organization running a conventional ground assault where the ship needs to move both the squad and part of its ground support.
The Ironclad Assault operates on a much larger scale. For groups that do not need a 117-meter heavy dropship, the Valkyrie offers a more direct troop-and-vehicle deployment workflow with less ship and fewer crew positions to manage.
Where the Valkyrie Becomes Inefficient
Twenty troop positions are an advantage only when a meaningful number of those positions are occupied.
A three-player group flying a Valkyrie is carrying a large amount of unused infrastructure. The ship also costs 19,845,000 aUEC in the cited Alpha 4.10 Stanton shop record, making it a significant investment.
The Valkyrie therefore makes the strongest case when troop deployment is a recurring group activity, not when one or two players occasionally need a ramp.
Drake Cutlass Steel — Best Lower-Cost Infantry Dropship
The Cutlass Steel turns the Cutlass chassis into a troop carrier by sacrificing the conventional cargo role.
RSI's Alpha 3.16 introduction states that the Steel replaces the cargo hold with 18 jump seats and door-mounted anti-personnel guns. Later official event material continues to describe the ship as carrying 18 jump seats.
Its current Alpha 4.10 vehicle data lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
| Dedicated cargo grid | 0 SCU |
| Length | 37.5 m |
| SCM speed | 200 m/s |
| NAV speed | 1,100 m/s |
| Ship HP | 35,560 HP |
| Shield HP | 10,560 HP |
| Missiles | 16 |
| Recorded Stanton purchase price | 3,797,480 aUEC |
Why the Steel Is Easier to Justify for a Smaller Organization
The purchase-price gap between the Steel and Valkyrie is substantial in the current snapshot.
The Steel's recorded 3,797,480 aUEC price is less than one quarter of the Valkyrie's 19,845,000 aUEC price.
Its 37.5-meter hull is also smaller than the 48-meter Valkyrie, reducing the amount of ship being committed to each deployment.
What the Steel Gives Up
The trade is explicit: the conventional cargo bay is gone.
Current Alpha 4.10 data lists 0 SCU of cargo, even though the ship still contains personal storage and equipment features.
A group that needs to transport meaningful mission cargo or a ground vehicle alongside its infantry has better reasons to consider the Valkyrie, Asgard, Ironclad Assault, or Starlancer TAC.
The Steel is strongest when the payload is people.
Esperia Prowler — Best Compact Insertion Dropship
The Esperia Prowler approaches deployment very differently from Drake or Anvil.
RSI introduced the flight-ready Prowler with 16 drop seats, low-signature systems, and an emphasis on moving a combat team without using a conventional large troop bay.
Its current Alpha 4.10 data lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Cargo | 0 SCU |
| Length | 34 m |
| SCM speed | 212 m/s |
| NAV speed | 1,200 m/s |
| Ship HP | 76,900 HP |
| Shield HP | 14,960 HP |
| Weapon racks / rifle slots | 16 / 16 |
| Current recorded in-game purchase listing | None exposed in cited 4.10 record |
Why the Prowler Is Different
The Prowler is substantially shorter than the Valkyrie while still carrying a historically documented 16-person drop complement.
RSI's official Prowler presentation specifies eight drop doors—four per side—plus one large rear ramp. The eight-door figure comes from that official deployment material, not from the current Alpha 4.10 vehicle-data record.
The current record remains the source for the ship's dimensions, cargo, speed, durability, crew, storage, and signature configuration.
Its current component data also retains substantial stealth-oriented signature reductions. This supports the Prowler's low-signature identity without claiming that it is undetectable or guaranteeing a particular current detection distance.
Prowler vs Prowler Utility
These should not be mixed together.
RSI has also published a Prowler Utility reference sheet with a different configuration, including 32 SCU and three jump seats. That is not the standard dropship configuration discussed here.
For a Best Dropships comparison, the relevant Prowler is the personnel-focused base ship with its 16-seat deployment history and current 0 SCU vehicle record.
The Main Limitation
The Prowler is a specialist.
If the group needs a vehicle, meaningful cargo, medical beds, or a large resupply stock aboard the same ship, the compact insertion layout becomes a constraint instead of an advantage.
It is a ship for getting personnel onto the ground—not for carrying the entire ground operation with them.
Aegis Vanguard Hoplite — Long-Range Small-Squad Alternative
The Vanguard Hoplite deserves inclusion because both RSI and the current vehicle data identify it as a dropship rather than merely a Vanguard fighter variant with spare seating.
RSI describes the Hoplite as a long-range squad dropship with a manned turret for protection.
Its current Alpha 4.10 record lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Infantry jump seats | 6 |
| Cargo | 0 SCU |
| Length | 48 m |
| SCM speed | 209 m/s |
| NAV speed | 1,115 m/s |
| Recorded Stanton purchase price | 6,645,250 aUEC |
The six jump seats are present in the current vehicle record as Jump Seat 01 through Jump Seat 06.
Where the Hoplite Fits
The Hoplite is useful when the squad is small enough that a Steel, Prowler, or Valkyrie would carry mostly empty seats.
Its Vanguard chassis also makes sense for a group that values long-range movement and a combat-capable insertion platform more than cargo or vehicle transport.
It does not become one of the broad category winners because the payload is narrow: six infantry seats, no conventional cargo grid, and no ground-vehicle bay.
For a six-person strike team plus two ship crew, however, that focused layout can be exactly the point.
Anvil Asgard — Best Heavy Vehicle Dropship
The Anvil Asgard is the clearest choice when the payload is a ground vehicle rather than a platoon.
RSI describes the Asgard as a next-generation ground-vehicle transport intended to deliver vehicle reinforcements into heavily contested landing zones.
Current Alpha 4.10 data lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Cargo grid | 180 SCU |
| Length | 48 m |
| SCM speed | 203 m/s |
| NAV speed | 1,075 m/s |
| Ship HP | 77,000 HP |
| Shield HP | 21,120 HP |
| Missiles | 16 |
| Recorded Stanton purchase price | 17,860,500 aUEC |
Why the Asgard Is Not Simply a New Valkyrie
Both ships share Anvil's battlefield-transport lineage, but they prioritize different payloads.
The Valkyrie is built around soldiers plus a supporting vehicle capability.
The Asgard gives up that troop-focused arrangement to provide a much more serious vehicle bay.
If the plan begins with “we need to deploy twenty soldiers,” the Valkyrie is the more natural fit.
If the operation is built around one heavy ground vehicle, the Asgard is the more direct tool.
180 SCU Does Not Make It a Pure Freighter
The current record lists 180 SCU, but the same bay supports the vehicle-transport role.
The cargo number should not be interpreted as a separate 180 SCU hold that necessarily remains completely available while a large vehicle occupies the deployment space.
The Asgard can perform useful cargo work when the bay is available, but its identity remains vehicle transport rather than freight specialization.
Low Crew Requirement Is a Major Advantage
Current data lists a crew of two.
For a small team, that makes the Asgard easier to staff than a large troop dropship where multiple weapon and support stations may otherwise sit empty.
For its broader vehicle-bay, cargo, engineering, and weapon breakdown, see the current Star Citizen Asgard Guide.
Drake Ironclad Assault — Best Large-Scale Combined-Arms Dropship
The Drake Ironclad Assault is a current Heavy Dropship built for a much larger deployment scale than the Valkyrie or Asgard.
CIG's May 20, 2026 Roadmap Roundup marked the Drake Ironclad and Ironclad Assault Released in Alpha 4.8. The current Alpha 4.10 vehicle record classifies the Assault as a Size 5 Heavy Dropship.
Its current Alpha 4.10 record lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Role | Heavy Dropship |
| Crew stations | 8 |
| Cargo | 1,440 SCU |
| Length | 117 m |
| SCM speed | 130 m/s |
| NAV speed | 940 m/s |
| Ship HP | 278,000 HP |
| Shield HP | 144,000 HP |
| Recorded in-game purchase listing | None exposed in cited 4.10 record |
What the Ironclad Assault Adds to the Category
CIG's DefenseCon 2956 Q&A describes the Assault as a combined-arms platform rather than simply a larger cargo hauler.
Its hold can support other vehicles and small craft. The same Q&A documents the initial Alpha 4.8 implementation of Ship Hangar Services, which at launch applied ship-wide to ground vehicles and ships carried inside the Assault.
CIG also stated that a future update was intended to restrict those services to the rear third of the cargo bay, the designated repair area. This article therefore treats Ship Hangar Services as a documented Alpha 4.8 launch implementation, not as independent Alpha 4.10.1 testing of the current service boundaries.
An organization can use the ship as a deployment hub for several ground vehicles, small craft, or a mixture of assets rather than as a one-squad transport.
For the wider cargo layout, crew requirements, combat systems, Command Module, and support-facility context, see the Star Citizen Ironclad Assault Guide.
Why It Does Not Replace the Valkyrie as the Overall Pick
Scale is the main reason.
The current Ironclad Assault is 117 meters long and has eight crew stations. The Valkyrie is 48 meters with five crew stations and has a clearly documented twenty-person troop deployment role.
For a conventional infantry-and-vehicle drop, the Valkyrie therefore asks the group to operate much less ship.
The Ironclad Assault becomes stronger when the operation genuinely needs its larger hold, multiple vehicles or small craft, documented hangar-service capability, and extended combined-arms support.
It is the large-scale combined-arms pick, while the Valkyrie remains the broader traditional dropship recommendation.
MISC Starlancer TAC — Best Squad Support Platform
The Starlancer TAC is not a pure dropship.
Its current Alpha 4.10 record classifies it as a Size 5 gunship. But its infantry deployment and medical facilities make it too relevant to ignore in a real ground-operation comparison.
Current data lists:
| Specification | Alpha 4.10.0 |
|---|---|
| Crew stations | 6 |
| Infantry jump seats | 8, from RSI reference sheet |
| Cargo | 96 SCU |
| Medical beds | 2 × T3 |
| Total beds | 6 |
| Weapon racks | 9 |
| Rifle slots | 10 |
| Pistol slots | 12 |
| Length | 90 m |
| SCM speed | 150 m/s |
| Shield HP | 144,000 HP |
| Recorded Stanton purchase price | 13,381,200 aUEC |
The eight jump seats come from RSI's official TAC reference sheet.
That same older sheet lists an 83-meter hull and 115 m/s SCM speed, so those older numerical specifications are not used here. Current Alpha 4.10 data supplies the 90-meter length and 150 m/s SCM figure.
Why the TAC Belongs in the Conversation
A squad does not stop needing support when the players leave their jump seats.
The TAC can deploy infantry, carry equipment and mission cargo, provide Tier 3 medical treatment, and remain a heavily shielded support platform after the drop.
Its operating model is closer to a mobile ground-operations base than a traditional one-purpose troop transport.
For repeated bunker operations, contested pickups, or sessions where the same group moves between space and ground objectives, those additional facilities can matter more than maximizing passenger count.
Why It Is Not the Best Dedicated Dropship
Size is the obvious issue.
At 90 meters, the TAC is substantially larger than the Valkyrie, Steel, Prowler, Hoplite, or Asgard. It also has many combat and support positions that only make sense when enough players are aboard to use them.
A group that simply needs to move infantry from orbit to surface is paying for a large amount of capability unrelated to the actual drop.
That is why the TAC is the support-platform pick, not the overall dedicated-dropship pick.
Dropship Prices in Alpha 4.10
The following values are version-locked in-game aUEC purchase listings, not RSI pledge-store prices and not guarantees of Alpha 4.10.1 terminal inventory.
| Ship | Recorded Alpha 4.10.0 In-Game Price |
|---|---|
| Cutlass Steel | 3,797,480 aUEC |
| Vanguard Hoplite | 6,645,250 aUEC |
| Starlancer TAC | 13,381,200 aUEC |
| Anvil Asgard | 17,860,500 aUEC |
| Anvil Valkyrie | 19,845,000 aUEC |
| Esperia Prowler | No in-game purchase listing exposed in cited 4.10 record |
| Drake Ironclad Assault | No in-game purchase listing exposed in cited 4.10 record |
The Steel and Hoplite have recorded New Deal listings in Lorville. The Valkyrie and Asgard are recorded at Astro Armada in Area18. The TAC has recorded 4.10 listings at both New Deal and Astro Armada.
The cited Alpha 4.10 records do not expose current purchase listings for the Prowler or Ironclad Assault, so this article does not invent prices or dealerships for either ship.
Valkyrie vs Cutlass Steel
These two ships answer the same infantry question at very different scales.
The Steel officially supports 18 jump seats. The Valkyrie supports up to 20 troops, so the raw difference in seat count is small.
The larger difference is everything around those seats.
The Steel has no conventional cargo grid in the current data and focuses heavily on transporting personnel in a Cutlass-sized hull.
The Valkyrie adds a vehicle bay, 90 SCU current cargo grid, more equipment storage, a larger five-station ship crew, and a much higher acquisition cost.
The Steel is the more direct choice when the mission is primarily moving infantry.
The Valkyrie makes more sense when the squad also needs supporting ground equipment.
Valkyrie vs Prowler
The Prowler makes its case through compactness and specialization.
It measures 34 meters in current data compared with the Valkyrie's 48 meters, yet RSI's flight-ready introduction supports sixteen drop seats.
The Valkyrie provides the broader conventional battlefield package: more troop capacity, a vehicle bay, current cargo space, and extensive weapon storage.
The Prowler gives up those logistics for a smaller low-signature insertion platform.
A group that wants to stay deployed after landing has more reasons to consider the Valkyrie.
A group whose ship primarily exists to insert personnel and disengage has a stronger case for the Prowler.
Valkyrie vs Asgard
This comparison is really troops versus vehicle.
The Valkyrie's defining official feature is the ability to carry up to twenty personnel while also supporting a ground vehicle.
The Asgard's defining feature is a hold built around a much larger ground asset.
Both are 48 meters long in current Alpha 4.10 data, but their interiors spend that footprint differently.
The Valkyrie is the stronger infantry-first dropship.
The Asgard is the stronger heavy-vehicle-first dropship.
Valkyrie vs Ironclad Assault
The Valkyrie and Ironclad Assault operate at very different scales.
The Valkyrie is a conventional troop-and-vehicle dropship with a documented twenty-person infantry role in a 48-meter hull.
The Ironclad Assault is a 117-meter Heavy Dropship whose role extends into multi-vehicle, small-craft, and onboard support operations.
A group planning a conventional squad landing does not automatically benefit from tripling the hull length and adding more crew stations.
A larger organization moving several ground assets or support craft can make use of capabilities the Valkyrie simply does not have.
That division is why the Ironclad Assault joins the main recommendations without displacing the Valkyrie as the overall pick.
Dedicated Dropship or Multirole Support Ship?
This is where the Starlancer TAC—and at a larger scale the Ironclad Assault—complicate the category.
A conventional dedicated dropship spends more of its interior on getting troops or vehicles onto the ground efficiently.
A multirole support platform spends more space and crew attention on everything that happens before and after the deployment.
For a one-way insertion, those additional systems may simply be overhead.
For a group running several objectives without returning to a station, medical beds, cargo, documented hangar services, living facilities, and sustained combat capability become more valuable.
| Mission Pattern | Better Fit |
|---|---|
| Move a large infantry element | Valkyrie |
| Move infantry at lower acquisition cost | Cutlass Steel |
| Insert a six-person long-range strike team | Vanguard Hoplite |
| Compact personnel insertion | Prowler |
| Deliver one heavy ground vehicle | Asgard |
| Deploy several vehicles or small craft with support services | Ironclad Assault |
| Deploy a squad and keep supporting it | Starlancer TAC |
This is why “best dropship” cannot be reduced to seat count.
What About the M2 Hercules?
The M2 Hercules is highly relevant to military vehicle logistics, but its core role is broader heavy transport rather than the focused dropship comparison used here.
It makes more sense when the mission involves large vehicles, substantial freight, and military logistics at a scale above a conventional troop drop.
Its overlap with the Ironclad Assault is significant: both can participate in large combined-arms logistics, but the Ironclad Assault is explicitly classified as a Heavy Dropship and has the documented Alpha 4.8 Ship Hangar Services implementation.
The M2 still deserves consideration in a broader military transport comparison rather than being inserted as another primary category winner here.
How Many Players Do You Actually Need?
The transported squad is only one part of the headcount.
A Valkyrie carrying twenty soldiers still needs people operating the ship. The current vehicle record lists five crew stations.
The Steel's current data lists a crew of three, while the Asgard and Hoplite list two.
The Prowler also lists two crew positions.
The TAC's dedicated current crew summary lists six stations before its eight jump-seat passengers are considered.
At the other end of the scale, the Ironclad Assault's current dedicated crew summary lists eight crew stations.
This creates an important ownership rule:
Do not buy a large dropship based on the number of people or vehicles it can theoretically carry. Buy it based on the people and assets your group will regularly deploy.
An eighteen-seat Steel with four players aboard may still be manageable because its operating crew is small.
A 117-meter heavy dropship only starts to justify itself when the operation actually uses the larger hold and support capability.
FAQ
What is the best dropship in Star Citizen?
The Anvil Valkyrie remains our overall dedicated-dropship pick because it combines up to twenty troop positions, a vehicle bay, current cargo capacity, equipment storage, and a conventional battlefield-deployment layout without moving into the Ironclad Assault's much heavier operating scale.
The Asgard is the stronger choice for a heavy ground vehicle, while the Ironclad Assault is the large-scale combined-arms option.
Is the Ironclad Assault available in the current game?
Yes.
CIG marked the Drake Ironclad and Ironclad Assault Released in Alpha 4.8 in the May 20, 2026 Roadmap Roundup. The current Alpha 4.10 vehicle record classifies the Assault as a Size 5 Heavy Dropship.
What does the Ironclad Assault add over smaller dropships?
Its main advantage is scale.
The 4.10 record lists a 1,440 SCU hold and eight crew stations, while CIG's DefenseCon Q&A documents support for multiple vehicles and small craft plus the initial Alpha 4.8 Ship Hangar Services implementation.
It is more appropriate for large combined-arms operations than for a simple squad insertion.
What is the cheapest dedicated dropship in this comparison?
The Cutlass Steel has the lowest recorded Alpha 4.10 in-game purchase price among the ships with current listings in this article, at 3,797,480 aUEC in Stanton.
Where does the Vanguard Hoplite fit?
The Hoplite is a long-range small-squad dropship.
Current Alpha 4.10 data lists two crew, six jump seats, 0 SCU, a 48-meter hull, and 209 m/s SCM speed.
Its six-person troop capacity prevents it from competing with the Valkyrie or Steel for larger infantry drops, but it fits smaller strike teams that do not need cargo or vehicle transport.
How many troops can the Cutlass Steel carry?
RSI describes the Cutlass Steel as having 18 jump seats.
Its current Alpha 4.10 vehicle record lists three ship crew and 0 SCU of conventional cargo.
How many troops can the Valkyrie carry?
RSI's official Valkyrie material describes the ship as transporting up to twenty personnel in addition to its operating crew.
Current Alpha 4.10 data separately lists five crew stations.
How many troops can the Prowler carry?
RSI's flight-ready Prowler introduction states that the standard dropship has 16 drop seats.
RSI's dedicated Prowler presentation also lists eight side drop doors—four on each side—plus a rear ramp.
This should not be confused with the Prowler Utility configuration, which has a different layout.
Is the Asgard a troop dropship?
It is primarily a ground-vehicle dropship.
RSI frames the Asgard around delivering vehicle reinforcements, and current Alpha 4.10 data gives it a two-person crew and 180 SCU cargo grid. It does not replace the Valkyrie's dedicated troop-drop layout.
Is the Starlancer TAC a dropship?
Its current vehicle record classifies it as a gunship, not a dedicated dropship.
However, RSI's TAC reference sheet lists eight jump seats, while current Alpha 4.10 data includes two T3 medical beds, 96 SCU, and six crew stations. This makes it useful as an infantry-deployment and support platform even though dropship is not its primary current classification.
Final Verdict
The Anvil Valkyrie remains the most balanced traditional dropship in this group. It combines a large documented troop complement with vehicle deployment and enough current cargo and equipment capacity to support conventional combined-arms operations without requiring a heavy-dropship-scale crew and hull.
The Cutlass Steel is the more accessible infantry transport when the group mainly needs seats and weapons rather than cargo.
The Prowler is the specialized compact option for personnel insertion, while the Vanguard Hoplite handles a smaller six-person squad in a long-range combat-oriented platform.
The Asgard is the vehicle-first alternative for operations built around one serious ground asset.
The Ironclad Assault takes the heavy end of the category. Its huge hold, multiple-vehicle and small-craft support, and documented Alpha 4.8 Ship Hangar Services implementation make it the strongest fit here for large-scale combined-arms deployment—but its 117-meter hull and eight crew stations are unnecessary overhead for many ordinary dropship missions.
The Starlancer TAC remains the support-platform choice when the mission continues after the ramp closes.
Choose according to the payload and scale:
Large infantry element — Valkyrie. Lower-cost infantry deployment — Cutlass Steel. Six-person long-range squad — Vanguard Hoplite. Compact insertion — Prowler. Single heavy ground vehicle — Asgard. Large-scale combined arms — Ironclad Assault. Deployment plus sustained squad support — Starlancer TAC.
