Formation armadas are three armada targets linked together in one encounter. All three have to die at the same time for the full reward, which means twelve players working to a shared clock rather than one alliance grinding a single target.
They sit in selected Delta Quadrant systems. Operations 26 opens the standard ones, Operations 38 opens the Rare version, and the Krenim formations are a separate track with their own directives and their own counters.
The enemy in a standard formation is Species 8472, which crossed into our dimension through quantum singularities from fluidic space. Each of the three targets is a simulation of a Starfleet Headquarters structure, built for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, which is why the encounter looks like a base assault rather than a fleet battle.
Formation armada locations
Standard formation armadas run across six level bands. These are the systems and the warp you need to reach them.
| Band | Systems | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Levels 26 to 33 | Uxal (26), Kalak (30), Miranil (33) | 25 |
| Levels 33 to 35 | Antaria (33), Dinaal (35), Verto Peyl (35) | 25 to 26 |
| Levels 40 to 43 | Korzans (40), FSEP-086 (40), Kraylor (40), Quarra (43) | 56 to 75 |
| Levels 43 to 45 | Dawise (43), New Talax (45), Valla Terna (45) | 75 to 90 |
| Levels 50 to 53 | Dijor’joh (50), Aran (50), FSEP-2204 (50), Suvfa (53) | 110 to 160 |
| Levels 53 to 55 | Leichter (53), Jettas (55), Burdow (55) | 160 to 200 |
The warp requirement climbs faster than the level does. Uxal through Miranil all sit at warp 25 across a seven level spread, then the jump to Korzans at level 40 needs warp 56, and the top band needs warp 200. Warp range, not ship power, is what usually decides which band you can actually reach.
Rare formation armada locations
Rare formation armadas open at Operations 38 and put you against the Borg Unicomplex rather than Species 8472. They spawn in seven systems:
| System | Level | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Samarklew | 35 | 28 |
| Larrios | 38 | 40 |
| Ronkel | 41 | 75 |
| Michfort | 46 | 100 |
| Johlan | 51 | 160 |
| Andracona | 56 | 200 |
| Gareilly | 60 | Deep Delta Quadrant |
On top of the usual Artifact Tokens, Rare formations pay Artifact Shards and Complex Nanotech. Nanotech is the one to care about: it buys chests holding officer shards, rare skill points, Isolytic Artifacts and more Artifact Tokens.
Krenim formation armadas
The Krenim version is a different encounter wearing the same shape. Instead of one enemy type you face Temporal Dreadnoughts in three flavours, and two of the three need the USS Relativity to be beatable at all.
- Charged Temporal Dreadnought. Regenerates its hull every round unless the Relativity’s Anti-Charged Shift ability is active.
- Static Temporal Dreadnought. Increases its Isolytic Damage every round unless the Relativity’s Anti-Static Shift ability is active.
- Neutral Temporal Dreadnought. No phase alignment, so this one can be killed without the Relativity.
Krenim formations appear across twenty systems: Vorex Cluster, Finney Expanse, Veltharion, Zorathis, Ithmiris, Armanis Nebula, Benn’s Field, Xandovara Rift, Solquinnar, Ryabovali Primus, Partridgeous III, Ventalis II, Naidu Reach, Estru Partis, Tzhaelor, Itharion Reach, Meera, Eryndor Veil, Talstris and Ilkis.
Reaching the higher-level Krenim systems depends on the Relativity Warp Range research node, so that is the upgrade to prioritise if the systems you want are out of reach.
Rewards run on their own currencies. Krenim Temporal Wreckage exchanges in the DTI Faction Store for Static or Charged bundles, and how much you get scales with your USS Relativity tier. Krenim Quantum Tech comes from full victories and redeems the Formation Victory Chest, which holds Galactic Acclaim, FKR ship blueprints and FKR faction credits. Encrypted Intelligence exchanges for FKR reputation.
How to start one
Standard and Rare formation armadas each cost 100 Formation Armada Directives. Daily Goal completions are the reliable source, and store offers top you up.
Krenim formations cost 100 Krenim Formation Directives instead, and those come from the Department of Temporal Investigations faction store rather than Daily Goals.
One thing worth knowing before you invest in your station: the Armada Control Center size bonus does not apply to formation armadas. The building helps your standard armadas, but it will not add a ship slot here.
How the fight actually works
The encounter is a central core with three armadas branching off it. Three teams of four commanders take one target each, twelve players in total, and the teams do not have to be from the same alliance.
Starting the first armada begins a 15 minute timer, and the other two inherit that same clock as they launch. That shared timer is the whole difficulty. Two players other than yourself have to start the remaining two targets, and any player from any alliance can take those slots, so if you want your own alliance on all three you need to move quickly after the first launch.
You can kill the three targets separately and still get paid. Killing all three is what unlocks the mega chest.
Rewards and chests
Even a failed formation armada pays something. The player who starts an armada gets a chest, every participant gets Artifact Tokens, and one participant is picked at random for a second, smaller chest.
Start an armada and take down all three targets and you collect twice: the starter chest plus the mega chest for the full clear.
Artifact Tokens and Premium Artifact Tokens both feed the Artifact Gallery, where artifacts give buffs across a wide range of gameplay. That gallery is the real reason to run formations rather than any single drop.
Crew
Formation armada crews are the same ones you would take into a standard armada, so there is no separate build to learn. Five of Eleven as captain with Six of Eleven and Khan is the long-standing setup, with below decks weighted toward attack and health.
The health weighting matters more here than in a solo armada, because the shared timer means you need to survive the full fight rather than trade damage and withdraw.
What you are fighting
Formation armada targets carry a mechanic worth planning around: if the target attacks a specific hull type at the start of a round, its Isolytic Defense drops by 20% for that round. Which hull triggers it varies by armada, so check the target before you build the group.
The upper-tier targets are heavily shielded, unlike Swarm armadas. The level 50 band runs around 870 million power with roughly 675 million shield health on top of 955 million hull, and crits land at 5% chance for 250% damage. Shield piercing earns its slot here.
Where to go next
For armada types outside the formation track, armada locations covers targets by faction and level, solo armadas covers the ones you can run alone, and swarm armadas covers Swarm space.
If you are chasing FKR reputation through the Krenim track, the faction reputation page explains where the locks sit and what each tier unlocks.
