The Hirogen Hunter Elite is a Hirogen hostile in Star Trek Fleet Command that spawns only as a Battleship, at levels 35 to 60, in 24 systems from Diabolai, Velixys and Wridian (level 35, warp 28) to Illusys and Sirpa (level 60, warp 900). Bring an Interceptor. Every kill drops 115 to 995 Hirogen Relics, and the same systems also spawn the Hirogen Transport Freighter, a Survey ship that drops far more relics per kill.
Hirogen hostiles and where to find them
Three Hirogen hostiles share the relic grind, and each wants a different approach. The Hunter Elite and the Transport Freighter spawn in the same set of systems; the regular Hirogen Hunter roams a much wider, lower-warp spread.
| Hirogen hostile | Levels | Warp | Hull | Bring | Hirogen Relics per kill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirogen Hunter Elite | 35–60 | 28–900 | Battleship | Interceptor | 115–995 |
| Hirogen Transport Freighter | 35, 40, 50, 60 | 28–900 | Survey | Any combat ship | 690–6,968 |
| Hirogen Hunter | 25–60 | 25–225 | Battleship, Explorer, Interceptor | The counter to each hull | 6–50, plus other resources and ship parts |
If relics are the goal, the Freighter pays the most per kill and barely fights, so check each system for one before you engage the Elite. The regular Hunter drops only a handful of relics but also pays Parsteel, Tritanium, Dilithium or Broken ship parts depending on level.
Hirogen Hunter Elite locations by level
The Elite’s lowest spawns sit at level 35 behind warp 28, and the levels climb to the level 60 version at warp 900. The band from level 35 to 43 stays within reach of a mid-game ship; from level 50 up the spawns sit deep in the quadrant and need a much longer warp range. Each level holds one to three systems.
| Level | Warp | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | 28 | Diabolai, Velixys, Wridian |
| 37 | 55 | Attana, Derevio (warp 110) |
| 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 |
How to beat the Hirogen Hunter Elite
Combat in STFC runs on a counter triangle. Interceptors beat Battleships, Battleships beat Explorers, and Explorers beat Interceptors. Survey ships barely fight, so keep them out of this one. The 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. There is nothing to swap between levels.
It carries one always-on ability, Shield Disruptors. Every weapon hit it lands reduces your shield mitigation by 10% for one round. Its Energy pair fires every round, so in practice your shields absorb less for most of the fight. 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 level 35 the evergreen cadet crew (Cadet Kirk as captain with Cadet Spock and Cadet Uhura) is a place to start, 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.
Rewards and what it drops
Every Hunter Elite drops Hirogen Relics, between 115 and 995 per kill depending on level. The higher the spawn, the larger the haul, so a player who can safely clear the top levels earns far more per run. Ship XP climbs from 703 at level 35 to 11,904 at level 60.
| Drop | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hirogen Relics | Earned from Hirogen hostiles in Delta Quadrant space and exchanged for bundles in the Voyager refinery; 115 to 995 per kill from the Hunter Elite. |
Hirogen Hunter Elite stats
Stats climb steeply as the level rises: total strength runs under 30 million at level 35 and passes 1.3 billion by level 60, with hull HP scaling the same way. Its shield pool is small next to its hull, roughly a ninth of it at every level, so most of the fight is chewing through hull.
| 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 |
Hirogen Hunter Elite firing pattern
The Elite fires a pair of Energy weapons every round, a heavy Kinetic gun every third round from round 1, and a second heavy Kinetic gun that first fires on round 10. Each Kinetic shot hits roughly five times harder than an Energy shot. Rounds 1, 4 and 7 are the Kinetic spikes early on, and the fight gets harder at round 10 when both Kinetic guns can land together. The figures are from the level 35 record and scale up with level.
| Weapon type | Count | Damage per shot | Fires | Crit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 2 | 19,605–23,014 | Every round | 10% (1.5x) |
| Kinetic | 1 | 98,025–115,072 | Every 3 rounds | 10% (1.5x) |
| Kinetic | 1 | 98,025–115,072 | Every 10 rounds (from round 10) | 10% (1.5x) |
The Hirogen in Star Trek
The Hirogen are a nomadic species from the Delta Quadrant, introduced in Star Trek: Voyager. Their 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 through a network of ancient relay stations the Hirogen used to communicate across the quadrant.
Is the Hirogen Hunter Elite worth grinding?
If you need Hirogen Relics, the Hunter Elite is a steady source, and the higher levels pay solid ship XP on top. It is a pure Battleship target, so the fight stays predictable once you are in an Interceptor. The main gate is warp range: the best payouts sit at the top levels deep in the quadrant. Match your warp to the level band you can handle, kill any Transport Freighter you see in the same system first, and farm the Elite level that fits your ship.
