The Hirogen Hunter Elite is a Hirogen hostile you fight across the Delta Quadrant at levels 35 to 60. It always spawns as a Battleship, so bring an Interceptor to counter it. You find it in systems that need warp 28 at the low end and up to warp 900 near level 60. Every kill drops Hirogen Relics, the resource that feeds Delta Quadrant progression.
How to beat the Hirogen Hunter Elite
Combat in STFC runs on a rock-paper-scissors triangle. Interceptors beat Battleships, Battleships beat Explorers, and Explorers beat Interceptors. Survey ships barely fight, so keep them out of this. The Hirogen Hunter Elite only ever spawns as a Battleship, which makes the pick simple: fly an Interceptor and you deal bonus damage while taking less in return.
The fight itself is straightforward once the class match is right. This is a heavy target with a large hull pool, so an Interceptor with strong sustained weapon output clears it faster than one built for a single opening shot. Because it is a Battleship, its own damage leans on raw attack rather than tricky mechanics, which keeps engagements predictable when you fly the counter class.
It does carry one always-on ability, Shield Disruptors. Every weapon hit it lands strips 10% off your shield mitigation for a round, so a drawn-out fight leaves your shields absorbing less over time. Lean on hull tanking or end the fight quickly rather than counting on shield mitigation to hold.
For crew, put a captain that boosts weapon damage against hostiles in the captain seat, then fill the other seats with officers that add damage or cut the hits you take. At the lowest levels a cadet crew (Cadet Kirk as captain with Cadet Spock and Cadet Uhura) can carry you, but by the mid levels you will want stronger picks. Check the officer tier list for current recommendations. Crews shift with the meta, so treat any fixed list as a starting point.
Where to find the Hirogen Hunter Elite
The Hirogen Hunter Elite clusters in Delta Quadrant systems. The lowest spawns sit at level 35 behind warp 28, and the levels climb steadily up to the level 60 version, which needs warp 900. The early band from level 35 to 43 stays within reach for a mid-game ship, while the level 50 and up spawns sit deep in the quadrant and demand a much longer warp range. Match your warp to the level you want to farm and pick systems close to your base to cut travel time.
| Level | Warp | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | 28 | Diabolai, Velixys, Wridian |
| 37 | 55 | Attana, Derevio |
| 39 | 150 | Ini’tarash Rest, Satar |
| 40 | 200 | Asil-A, Crypsotys |
| 43 | 285 | Hyrolaw, Xi’taiq |
| 47 | 345 | Ebriosys, Zevritus |
| 50 | 405 | Kunnan, Perryk |
| 51 | 460 | Bartu’shakai |
| 53 | 535 | Liasoures, Tauriels |
| 55 | 700 | K’tje, Vadeli |
| 58 | 750 | Oitalka, Rearys |
| 60 | 900 | Illusys, Sirpa |
Rewards and what it drops
Every Hirogen Hunter Elite drops Hirogen Relics, between 115 and 995 per kill depending on the level you farm. The higher the spawn, the larger the relic haul, so a player who can safely clear the top levels earns far more per run. Higher-level kills also pay more ship XP, which helps level whatever ship you are flying while you grind.
| Drop | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hirogen Relics | A Delta Quadrant resource you collect from Hirogen targets and spend on Hirogen faction progression and rewards. |
Hirogen Hunter Elite stats
Stats vary little between spawns of the same level but climb steeply as the level rises, so scout a target before you commit. The jump is large: total strength runs under 30 million at level 35 and passes 1.3 billion by level 60, with hull HP scaling the same way. These anchor rows show the low, mid, and high end of the range.
| Level | Total strength | Hull HP | Shield HP | Attack | Defense | Ship XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 29,201,826 | 50,512,577 | 5,612,509 | 622,808 | 516,475 | 703 |
| 50 | 277,398,161 | 483,177,198 | 53,686,355 | 4,302,094 | 4,664,290 | 2,501 |
| 60 | 1,398,021,361 | 2,446,114,422 | 271,790,491 | 18,375,129 | 20,693,775 | 11,904 |
The Hirogen in Star Trek
The Hirogen are a nomadic species from the Delta Quadrant, introduced in Star Trek: Voyager. Their whole culture is built around the hunt. Hirogen crews roam in small groups, tracking prey across huge distances and prizing a dangerous target over an easy one. They keep trophies from their kills, which is the in-fiction root of the game’s Hirogen Relics. Voyager first ran into them after finding a network of ancient relay stations the Hirogen used to coordinate hunts across the quadrant. Later encounters showed a species defined by ritual, endurance, and a code that respected a worthy opponent.
Is the Hirogen Hunter Elite worth grinding?
If you are working through Delta Quadrant content and need Hirogen Relics, the Hunter Elite is a steady source, and the higher levels pay solid ship XP on top of the relics. It is a pure Battleship target, so the fight stays predictable once you are in an Interceptor, which makes it a reliable farm rather than a gamble. The main gate is warp range: the best relic payouts sit at the top levels deep in the quadrant, so your reach often decides how much you earn per run. Match your warp to the level band you can handle, scout the strength before you engage, and farm the level that fits your ship.