Star Citizen Ironclad Assault Guide: Cargo, Crew, Combat & Price

The Drake Ironclad Assault is a heavy dropship designed to transport ground vehicles, support combined-arms operations, and serve as a mobile support base for organized crews. Its Alpha 4.10.0 vehicle-data snapshot lists 1,440 SCU of cargo capacity, substantial defensive armament, and a detachable Command Module.

Unlike the standard Ironclad, which prioritizes high-volume freight, the Assault sacrifices cargo space for a more combat-oriented configuration and vehicle support facilities. CIG also confirmed the initial implementation of onboard repair and refueling services when the ship became flyable in Alpha 4.8.

Its greatest strength is combining vehicle transport, deployment, and support in one platform. Its greatest limitation is the crew and coordination required to use those capabilities effectively.

Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.1 entered LIVE on September 16, 2026. The numerical specifications below come from the explicitly identified 4.10.0 vehicle-data snapshot, not independently verified 4.10.1 gameplay testing.

Ironclad Assault Specifications

The Assault shares the standard Ironclad's general hull dimensions but has a different cargo arrangement, weapon configuration, and operational role.

Specification	Alpha 4.10.0 Vehicle Data
Manufacturer	Drake Interplanetary
Role	Heavy Dropship
Size	S5 / Large
Cargo capacity	1,440 SCU
Crew field	7–8
Crew stations / beds	8 / 7
Dimensions	117 × 50 × 25 m
SCM speed	130 m/s
NAV speed	940 m/s
Ship-level shield HP	144,000
Missile loadout	10 × Size 5
Reference MSRP	$650
In-game purchase	No price listed in the snapshot

Source: Ironclad Assault — Star Citizen Wiki API, Alpha 4.10.0-LIVE.12519617 .

The 7–8 crew field, eight crew stations, and seven beds represent different measurements. They should not be treated as interchangeable figures or as proof that every mission requires eight players.

The snapshot also lists four Size 3 Stronghold shield generators. Its 144,000 HP ship-level shield value should be reported separately rather than calculated by simply adding the individual component statistics.

What Makes the Ironclad Assault Different?

The Ironclad Assault is designed around transporting a fighting force and supporting it after deployment.

A conventional dropship concentrates on getting troops or vehicles into position. A freighter concentrates on moving cargo. The Assault combines those functions with a larger support platform that can remain useful after the initial landing.

Its operating model is particularly relevant to organizations that regularly deploy several ground vehicles or need to transport a mixture of infantry, equipment, small spacecraft, and supplies.

A practical mission might involve transporting vehicles to an operating area, deploying them, and retaining the Assault as a support ship while smaller units complete their objectives.

That requires coordination. Substantial cargo capacity does not eliminate the need to organize deployment order, protect the landing area, and recover vehicles afterward.

A crew that cannot coordinate those activities may find a simpler transport more productive.

Cargo Capacity and Vehicle Transport

The Ironclad Assault carries 1,440 SCU, distributed across two 720-SCU cargo grids in the Alpha 4.10.0 snapshot.

That is substantial freight capacity, but maximizing commercial cargo volume is not the ship's central purpose. The hold becomes more useful when it carries vehicles, equipment, and supplies needed to complete a mission.

Vehicle deployment

The Assault can transport multiple ground vehicles, allowing an organization to assemble its ground force before reaching the destination.

The most useful configuration depends on the mission. A group might prioritize heavier vehicles for a concentrated ground operation or reserve space for smaller vehicles and support equipment.

The practical consideration is not simply how many vehicles physically fit inside. They must also have enough clearance to maneuver, deploy in a sensible sequence, and return to the hold afterward.

Packing every available corner can create deployment problems even when the load technically fits.

A planned vehicle manifest is therefore more useful than treating the entire bay as unrestricted parking space.

Cargo and support supplies

The Assault's cargo capacity also gives it a role as a supply ship.

An organization can allocate space to mission equipment, replacement gear, and recovered cargo without bringing a separate large freighter for every task.

The trade-off is lost freight capacity. Every vehicle or piece of equipment occupies space that could otherwise carry commercial cargo.

Players primarily interested in cargo revenue should also consider the standard Ironclad, which carries substantially more freight and prioritizes heavy hauling rather than combined-arms support.

Repair, Refueling, and the Fabricator

The Assault's support facilities provide a stronger reason to choose it over a conventional vehicle transporter. They also require careful separation between functionality CIG confirmed at launch and features planned for later updates.

Repair and refueling services

In its DefenseCon 2956 Q&A, CIG confirmed that the Ironclad Assault received the initial implementation of Ship Hangar Services with Alpha 4.8.

At launch, those services were available throughout the ship's interior, allowing ground vehicles and spacecraft inside the Assault to use its repair and refueling functionality.

CIG also stated that a future update would restrict the services to the rear third of the cargo bay, the designated repair area.

This launch implementation makes the Assault useful for groups operating several small craft or vehicles.

Instead of returning every damaged or fuel-depleted vehicle to a station, the crew can use the ship as a support location during an extended operation.

That does not remove the need to organize recovery, manage supplies, or protect the vessel while vehicles are being serviced.

Version context: These service boundaries are the Alpha 4.8 implementation described by CIG, not an independently verified measurement of their behavior in Alpha 4.10.1. The exact service area should be rechecked before presenting it as a current-version guarantee.

The fabricator's planned functionality

The Assault also includes a fabricator, but CIG explicitly stated that its blueprint-crafting functionality was not enabled at launch.

The intended system will manufacture items from available blueprints directly to and from vehicle cargo grids. The necessary grid-based fabrication functionality was not available when the Assault became flyable.

The fabricator is therefore a planned ownership benefit rather than a confirmed, currently functional manufacturing system. The launch-era Q&A alone does not establish whether its status has changed in Alpha 4.10.1.

Players considering the Assault as a mobile manufacturing base should not assign value to working fabrication without newer implementation evidence.

Weapons, Armor, and Combat Role

The Assault's weapons support transport operations and help defend the ship while it deploys its payload.

The Alpha 4.10.0 snapshot identifies three manned turrets, five remote turrets, and ten Size 5 missiles. Its manned weapon arrangement includes Size 5 ballistic Gatlings and Size 3 ballistic repeaters, with additional remote weapon coverage.

The heavier weapons provide opportunities to engage larger or slower targets. The smaller defensive weapons offer additional coverage, but the Assault's size makes it unsuitable for pursuing maneuverable fighters like a dedicated combat vessel.

Supporting a landing

The Assault's underside weapon coverage is relevant when approaching a defended landing area.

A crew can use those weapons to engage threats while the pilot positions the vessel for deployment. This provides additional support for coordinated ground operations that a lightly armed transport might struggle to deliver.

It does not mean the Assault can independently eliminate every threat around a landing zone.

Gunners need suitable firing angles, the pilot must position the hull, and the ground force still needs a viable deployment route.

Landing under sustained enemy fire exposes the transport, its crew, and the vehicles inside it to concentrated risk. An organized assault may therefore require escorts or a separate force to secure the approach.

Ballistic ammunition and resupply

The substantial ballistic armament creates a practical logistics consideration.

Ballistic weapons depend on ammunition. Sustained firing reduces the ammunition available for subsequent engagements.

The Assault's repair and refueling services should not be interpreted as proof that every weapon can be replenished indefinitely without returning to a suitable resupply location.

For an organization planning repeated deployments, ammunition management is part of the operation rather than an issue to discover after the first engagement.

Armor and durability

CIG describes the Assault as having improved armor relative to the standard Ironclad. Its DefenseCon 2956 Q&A also places the Ironclad family between lighter civilian haulers and more specialized military transports such as the M2 Hercules in its intended armor hierarchy.

The Alpha 4.10.0 vehicle-data fields present a more complicated picture:

Vehicle-data metric	Ironclad Assault	Standard Ironclad
Ship HP	278,000	258,000
Armor Health	20,790	26,010
Physical damage multiplier	-23%	-28%

Sources: Ironclad Assault vehicle data and standard Ironclad vehicle data .

These figures describe different aspects of the ships' defensive systems. Higher ship HP does not, by itself, establish stronger armor, and individual armor fields cannot establish total combat survivability.

CIG's improved-armor statement describes the Assault's intended relative protection. The available snapshot does not independently demonstrate that every armor statistic is superior to the standard variant.

The Assault's survivability should therefore be evaluated through its complete defensive arrangement, crew response, and mission circumstances rather than a single number.

Can You Solo the Ironclad Assault?

You can fly the Ironclad Assault alone, but it is poorly suited to efficient solo operations.

Its most distinctive capabilities depend on activities that one player cannot perform simultaneously. A pilot cannot manage the approach, operate multiple defensive turrets, deploy vehicles, respond to damage, and coordinate a ground force at the same time.

The 4.10.0 data identifies eight crew stations, although that number does not establish a mandatory minimum for every activity.

The Assault becomes particularly inefficient when a solo owner tries to use it as an ordinary cargo ship. The hold is large enough to create a substantial loading workload, while the features that distinguish the Assault from simpler transports may remain unused.

A smaller freighter or multipurpose ship is a more manageable option for players whose primary activity is solo cargo hauling.

Practical crew requirements

For organized vehicle and support operations, approximately five to eight players is a reasonable practical planning estimate. This is an editorial assessment, not an official crew requirement.

A working team might include a pilot, defensive gunners, a vehicle coordinator, and personnel responsible for engineering or support activities.

The number rises when the Assault must also transport a separate ground force.

The people operating the ship are not necessarily the same people who will drive its vehicles or fight on the ground. An organization should plan for both groups rather than assume that filling the ship's crew stations also provides a complete deployment team.

The Detachable Command Module

The Ironclad Assault shares a detachable Command Module with the standard Ironclad and Caterpillar.

CIG confirmed in its DefenseCon 2956 Q&A that the Ironclad and Caterpillar use an identical module, retaining personnel accommodation and its emergency escape role.

The module can operate independently, allowing personnel to separate from the main vessel without moving the entire heavy transport.

In the Q&A, CIG described leaving the main hull behind while the Command Module handles atmospheric travel. The main hull retains certain operational systems, but it cannot independently fly away once the module has detached. These statements describe the design and implementation discussed at the time of the Q&A; they should not be represented as fresh 4.10.1 testing.

The 4.10.0 Command Module data identifies a Size 2 transport craft with an independent quantum drive, a crew range of 2–5, and approximately 20 × 16 × 6-meter dimensions.

It also lists 0 SCU of cargo capacity.

The module is therefore best understood as a command, personnel transport, and emergency escape craft rather than a detachable cargo shuttle.

Ironclad Assault vs Ironclad

The standard Ironclad is the most immediate alternative because the two variants share a hull family but prioritize different jobs.

The Alpha 4.10.0 vehicle data lists 2,200 SCU for the standard Ironclad and 1,440 SCU for the Assault. That is a 760-SCU difference using the same data source and version.

CIG's published presentation separately advertises 2,204 SCU for the standard Ironclad. The four-SCU discrepancy should not be interpreted as proof that either source is necessarily incorrect; the precise reason for the difference has not been established.

The standard Ironclad is the more natural choice for an organization that regularly moves large volumes of commercial freight.

The Assault makes more sense when vehicles, combat support, and maintenance activities are central to the mission.

For groups that do not need the Assault's support facilities, the standard variant offers more cargo capacity without requiring a fundamentally different class of ship.

For more on the freight-focused configuration, see the related Star Citizen Ironclad Guide.

Ironclad Assault vs M2 Hercules

The M2 Hercules is a relevant alternative for players interested in protected vehicle transport.

The M2 is a military transport with a substantial enclosed cargo bay, a more compact hull, and a smaller crew requirement. It is easier to integrate into operations that need to move vehicles without maintaining a much larger support vessel.

The Assault provides substantially more internal space and adds the repair and refueling functionality CIG documented at its Alpha 4.8 launch.

The ships solve different operating problems.

A small team transporting vehicles between locations may find the M2 easier to operate. An organization that wants a large transport to remain on-site as a support base has stronger reasons to consider the Assault.

The M2's dedicated military role also matters when comparing protection. CIG describes its armor profile as more specialized than that of the Ironclad family, although this statement alone does not establish a current-version combat outcome.

For a more detailed look at the military transport alternative, see the related M2 Hercules Guide.

Ironclad Assault vs Liberator

The Liberator is another relevant option for organizations planning to transport vehicles and smaller spacecraft.

Its dedicated carrier-oriented design differs from the Assault's enclosed, combined-arms cargo arrangement.

The Assault's established advantage is that it is already flyable, with an initial implementation of Ship Hangar Services documented by CIG.

A Liberator purchase decision must account for the difference between intended design and gameplay that is actually available.

Players primarily interested in carrying and operating spacecraft should evaluate the Liberator's dedicated transport arrangement.

Those who need a flyable ship combining ground vehicles, substantial internal cargo, defensive weapons, and documented support facilities have a clearer immediate use case for the Assault.

These ships should not be treated as interchangeable simply because both can transport smaller craft.

Ironclad Assault Price and Availability

The Alpha 4.10.0 vehicle-data snapshot lists the Ironclad Assault with a $650 MSRP. This is a reference pledge value, not a guarantee that a standalone pledge is available through RSI at all times.

Historical pledge records include earlier, lower-priced offerings. Those prices should not be confused with its reference MSRP, a Warbond standalone offer, or a discounted CCU.

The same vehicle-data snapshot does not provide an in-game purchase price.

Players considering an upgrade should check the actual pledge or CCU offer rather than assume the reference MSRP represents the final amount they would pay.

The deciding factor between the standard Ironclad and the Assault should be whether the Assault's vehicle support and combat-oriented configuration will be used regularly, not simply the difference between their reference prices.

Who Should Buy the Ironclad Assault?

The Assault suits an established group that needs a large transport and expects to use its support facilities repeatedly.

It is particularly relevant to organizations running vehicle operations, coordinated ground deployments, or missions involving several smaller spacecraft.

A group that regularly needs to deploy vehicles, recover them, repair damage, refuel, and prepare for another operation has a clear reason to consider the Assault, subject to the service functionality available in the current patch.

By contrast, players who primarily want to maximize cargo revenue, fly alone, or transport a single vehicle occasionally are unlikely to benefit from much of its additional complexity.

The Assault is also a less convincing purchase when its value depends primarily on future fabrication functionality. Its documented transport and support capabilities should provide enough value to justify ownership without relying on a planned feature.

Is the Ironclad Assault Worth It?

The Ironclad Assault is worth considering for organized multicrew and combined-arms gameplay, but it is difficult to justify as a conventional solo cargo upgrade.

Its main advantage is combining several functions that might otherwise require separate ships: transporting ground vehicles, carrying supplies, defending a deployment, and supporting vehicles and small spacecraft after arrival.

Its documented repair and refueling implementation adds value beyond the initial landing.

The primary limitation is the organization required to use those capabilities. A large transport with numerous defensive stations and a substantial vehicle hold becomes much less useful when one player must manage every activity.

For groups primarily interested in freight, the standard Ironclad provides more cargo capacity.

For smaller military transport crews, the M2 Hercules offers a more manageable alternative.

The Assault's strongest ownership case belongs to organizations that need a mobile support platform rather than simply a larger cargo ship or a more heavily armed dropship.

FAQ

Is the Ironclad Assault flight ready?

Yes. The Ironclad Assault became flyable with Alpha 4.8 and is included in the Alpha 4.10.0 vehicle-data snapshot. Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.1 subsequently entered LIVE on September 16, 2026.

How much cargo does the Ironclad Assault carry?

The Alpha 4.10.0 vehicle data lists 1,440 SCU across two 720-SCU cargo grids.

How many crew members does the Ironclad Assault need?

The vehicle-data snapshot gives a crew field of 7–8 and separately lists eight crew stations and seven beds. Practical staffing depends on the operation. A substantial ground deployment requires personnel for flying, defense, engineering, and the ground force itself.

Can the Ironclad Assault repair vehicles?

CIG confirmed that its initial Alpha 4.8 Ship Hangar Services implementation supported repair and refueling for ground vehicles and spacecraft inside the ship. CIG also announced plans to restrict the service area to the rear third of the cargo bay. The precise 4.10.1 service boundaries have not been independently verified here.

Does the Ironclad Assault have a working fabricator?

The Assault includes a fabricator, but CIG stated that its blueprint-crafting functionality was not enabled at launch. The launch-era Q&A does not establish whether that status has changed in Alpha 4.10.1.

Can the Ironclad Assault carry fighters?

It can carry suitable small craft inside its cargo space. CIG specifically discussed transporting multiple Pitbull snub fighters and using the Assault as a support platform. That does not guarantee convenient launch and recovery for every fighter model.

How much does the Ironclad Assault cost?

The Alpha 4.10.0 reference MSRP is $650. This is distinct from historical concept prices, temporary Warbond offers, and CCU prices.