Next Gen Riker at a glance
Next Gen Riker is a common Command officer in Star Trek Fleet Command, and most players meet him early. He shows the young William Riker from The Next Generation, clean-shaven and in a season-one uniform, well before the beard and the first officer’s chair.
As a common officer his ceiling is low, but his officer ability gives a flat attack boost to everyone on the bridge. That makes him a cheap filler for early combat crews rather than a specialist for one job.
If you have reached operations level 20 or higher, the game has probably already handed him to you at a low tier, so he is often one of the first attack officers a commander has on hand.
Star Trek background
In Star Trek canon, William Thomas Riker is one of Starfleet’s best-known first officers. He served as Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s second-in-command aboard the USS Enterprise-D and later the Enterprise-E for about 15 years, the officer Picard called his Number One. Riker ran ship operations and led most away missions, and he turned down several command offers to stay at Picard’s side before finally taking the captain’s chair of the USS Titan.
Riker grew up in Alaska, raised by his father Kyle after his mother died. That upbringing left him with a strained relationship with his father and a strong independent streak. His family line reached back to Thaddius Riker, a Union Army colonel. Later in life he married Deanna Troi, and the two named their children after his ancestor Thaddius and Troi’s sister Kestra.
Across The Next Generation, Riker grew into the role most fans remember: confident, charismatic, and trusted with the ship whenever Picard was off the bridge. He repeatedly chose to remain a first officer when his own command was on offer, a choice that defined much of his career until the Titan finally pulled him into the captain’s chair.
The officer card here catches Riker at the start of that journey: the season-one look, the ambition, and a record at Starfleet Academy that had not yet caught up to how far he wanted to go.
Next Gen Riker’s role in STFC
Next Gen Riker is an attack-focused Command officer. His worth sits in his officer ability, which raises the attack of every officer on the ship instead of doing one narrow job. That makes him a generalist combat seat, not a specialist for mining, hostiles, or armadas.
Because he is common, he is cheap to recruit and promote, and his numbers stay modest. Treat him as an early-game or budget option you slot in to round out a crew, not as the centerpiece of a top-tier combat build.
Captain ability and officer ability
The Riker Maneuver (captain ability)
As captain, Riker’s maneuver adds 5% to your damage for the first round of combat (as of the latest data). The bonus only covers the opening round, so it rewards ships that want to land hard early hits before a fight settles into a longer exchange. The effect shifts at higher ranks, but the opening-round damage boost is the part worth planning around.
The Riker Lean (officer ability)
In any bridge seat, Riker’s officer ability raises the attack of all officers on the ship. The bonus grows as you promote him, climbing from a small early boost to a larger one at his top rank. Since it touches the whole crew rather than a single officer, it stacks cleanly with other attack buffs and helps a thin combat build hit a little harder.
The attack bonus scales by rank as follows (current as of the latest game data):
| Rank | Attack bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5% |
| 2 | 8% |
| 3 | 10% |
| 4 | 12% |
| 5 | 15% |
Where Next Gen Riker shines
A few situations where he earns his seat:
- Early combat crews, where a flat attack boost across the bridge is more useful than a narrow buff you cannot yet support.
- Budget builds, when you want more damage output but do not have stronger Command officers unlocked.
- Crews stacking attack, since his whole-ship bonus adds on top of other attack effects without overlapping a single seat.
How to get Next Gen Riker
Most commanders do not have to chase Next Gen Riker shards. The game awards him once you reach operations level 20, and he arrives already at tier 2. If you want to promote him further and need more shards, check the current store and event rotations rather than counting on a fixed source, since his availability shifts with each update.
Promotion costs climb the usual way for a common officer. The shard cost to reach each rank looks like this:
| Rank | Shards to promote |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 36 |
| 5 | 75 |
That works out to 135 shards total to take him from recruitment through his maximum rank. Each rank also raises his level cap: he tops out at level 5 at rank 1, level 10 at rank 2, level 15 at rank 3, level 20 at rank 4, and level 30 at his final Commander rank. Federation credits and officer experience cover the level-ups in between, with the costs growing sharply at the higher ranks, so a full promotion run is a real investment for a common officer.
Synergy and crew building
Riker’s class synergy bonuses are Command 5%, Engineering 10%, and Science 10%, so his seat picks up a little extra when you build around Engineering and Science crewmates. He has no dedicated synergy officers, so there is no specific named crew the game rewards you for assembling.
For practical crews, use him as an attack filler. Pair his officer ability with a captain whose maneuver fits the fight in front of you, and let the flat attack boost support the rest of the bridge while your stronger officers do the specialized work.
Frequently asked questions
Is Next Gen Riker any good?
For an early or budget crew, yes. His officer ability adds attack to the whole bridge, which is helpful while you are still building up. As a common officer he is not a long-term anchor, so most players rotate him out once stronger Command officers come online.
How do you get Next Gen Riker shards?
He is awarded automatically at operations level 20, starting at tier 2. Extra shards for promotion come and go through store and event rotations, so check what is currently available in game rather than relying on a fixed source.
What is the difference between Next Gen Riker and William T. Riker?
They are two separate officers. Next Gen Riker is the common, early version with a simple crew-wide attack boost. William T. Riker is a much stronger officer with abilities built around different combat situations, and he takes far more effort to unlock and rank up.
What ship is Next Gen Riker best on?
There is no single right answer, because his crew-wide attack bonus helps on any combat ship. Put him on whatever attack ship you are flying early on, alongside a captain whose maneuver matches the fight. He is filler, so let the ship and the rest of the bridge set the plan.
Is he worth ranking up?
Only lightly. Promoting him improves his attack bonus, which is fine for early crews, but he does not scale into late-game value. Save heavy shard and credit investment for officers with a higher ceiling, and rank Riker only as far as your current crews actually need.
Next Gen Riker is a solid early pickup and a cheap way to add attack to a crew, though he is not someone you build around for long. If you are just past operations level 20 and putting together your first real combat bridge, give him a seat. Once stronger Command officers open up, he becomes a piece you rotate out instead of one you keep pouring shards into.
