The U.S.S. Reliant is a grade 4 Epic Explorer for the Independent faction, built as a specialist hostile hunter rather than a miner or all-round warship. Its always-on abilities pour Isolytic damage into Augment Exile [WOK] hostiles and shield its warp core from their Dilithium Destabilization tricks. You build it at Shipyard level 26. For anyone working through the Wrath of Khan content, it is a purpose-made counter. The best Reliant crew leans on hostile damage and survivability, with WOK Carol Marcus the one officer written for its targets.
How to get the U.S.S. Reliant
Building the U.S.S. Reliant takes 200 blueprints and a Shipyard at level 26. The build cost is 513,000 Tritanium and 130,000 Dilithium, and the build runs for 6 days and 14 hours once you start it. U.S.S. Reliant Schematics, the item used to build and upgrade the ship, are earned through special events and the store. Tier-ups after that run entirely on U.S.S. Reliant Parts, which come from the Augment faction store or the Store.
U.S.S. Reliant ability
The Reliant’s headline ability is Always Reliant, and it is built around one target type: Augment Exile [WOK] hostiles. Against them the ship raises its Isolytic damage by 1,100% at ship level 1, climbing to 75,000% at level 90. Two more always-on effects ride alongside it. Reliant Payoff increases the Hijacked Splicers you earn from those same hostiles, from 100% at level 1 up to 3,500% at level 90, and Reliant Barrier adds a flat 50,000 to the ship’s Apex Barrier against them. A fourth effect, M/ARA Insulation, protects the Reliant’s warp core so the Hijacked D7 and DY-200-class “Dilithium Destabilization” abilities cannot affect it. All of these are ship abilities, so they stay active with nothing to trigger. In play the Reliant is a scalpel: point it at Augment Exile hostiles and it does far more than a general Explorer, but that bonus only applies to that fight.
| Ship level | Isolytic damage vs Augment Exile (Always Reliant) | Hijacked Splicers (Reliant Payoff) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,100% | 100% |
| 10 | 5,500% | 120% |
| 25 | 13,500% | 300% |
| 40 | 24,000% | 600% |
| 45 | 27,500% | 700% |
| 90 | 75,000% | 3,500% |
The Exile hostiles that carry Dilithium Destabilization, such as the Hijacked D7 Class, are the fights where M/ARA Insulation matters most.
Stats and tiers
Base values; research, buffs and officers raise them in play.
| Tier | Warp (speed / range) | Impulse | Cargo (protected) | Shield HP | Hull HP | Health (displayed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 3 / 30 | 110 | 400,000 (32,000) | 2,605 | 3,907 | 3,256 |
| Tier 9 | 4.6 / 140 | 118 | 1,960,000 (156,800) | 117,321 | 175,982 | 146,651.5 |
| Tier 18 | 10 / 1,050 | 130 | 11,000,000 (2,000,000) | 45,941,615 | 68,912,422 | 57,427,018.5 |
Weapons and firing pattern
Warm-up is the combat round a weapon first fires; cool-down is the number of rounds between shots after that.
| Weapon | Type | Shots | Warm-up | Cool-down | Damage | Crit chance | Crit damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Energy | 4 | 1 | 1 | 39,215–47,929 | 10% | 150% |
| Weapon 2 | Energy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 117,644–143,788 | 10% | 150% |
| Weapon 3 | Kinetic | 2 | 1 | 1 | 470,577–575,150 | 10% | 150% |
| Weapon 4 | Energy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 117,644–143,788 | 10% | 150% |
| Weapon 5 | Energy | 4 | 1 | 1 | 39,215–47,929 | 10% | 150% |
Every weapon fires from the first round and again each round after, so the Reliant deals damage steadily rather than in bursts. Weapon 3 is the ship’s only kinetic gun and its heaviest single hit, so it carries most of the raw damage.
Crew slots and officer bonus
| Ship level | Officer slots |
|---|---|
| 5 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 20 | 3 |
| 30 | 4 |
| 40 | 5 |
| 45 | 6 |
| 55 | 7 |
The Reliant raises your officers’ attack, defense and health as it progresses, and those three bonuses are identical, so one ladder covers all three. Each step needs a higher combined officer stat total to reach the next bonus.
| Amount | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1,500 | 50% |
| 3,000 | 100% |
| 4,875 | 150% |
| 6,750 | 200% |
| 9,000 | 250% |
| 12,000 | 300% |
| 16,500 | 350% |
| 22,500 | 400% |
| 30,000 | 450% |
| 45,000 | 500% |
U.S.S. Reliant refits
The Reliant has one refit, unlocked with ship shards. It is a farming refit rather than a combat one: it pays off in Augment rewards every time the Reliant clears Exile hostiles.
| Refit | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hijacked Reliant | Costs 120 shards to unlock. Increases Augment Wrath Credits from the U.S.S. Reliant’s Mega Claim in the Augment Faction Store by 10%, increases Hijacked Splicer loot dropped from hostiles by up to 200%, and increases Augment Reputation gained with the Reliant by 400%. |
U.S.S. Reliant upgrade cost by tier
Every tier-up from 2 to 18 costs only U.S.S. Reliant Parts, stepping from Common to Epic parts as the ship climbs. All four grades come from the Augment faction store, and the Store also offers them once you reach Operations 26 (Common), 40 (Uncommon), 51 (Rare) and 61 (Epic). Upgrading the Reliant also hands out Reliant Choice Tokens, which unlock an officer of your choice.
| Tier | Upgrade cost | Upgrade time |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 70,000 Common U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 5d 13h 20m |
| 3 | 210K Common U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 11d 2h 40m |
| 4 | 350K Common U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 18d 12h 26m |
| 5 | 275K Uncommon U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 27d 18h 40m |
| 6 | 385K Uncommon U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 37d 53m |
| 7 | 495K Uncommon U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 46d 7h 6m |
| 8 | 605K Uncommon U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 60d 4h 26m |
| 9 | 825K Uncommon U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 74d 1h 46m |
| 10 | 600K Rare U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 92d 14h 13m |
| 11 | 750K Rare U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 120d 8h 53m |
| 12 | 900K Rare U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 166d 16h |
| 13 | 1.12M Rare U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 222d 5h 20m |
| 14 | 1.5M Rare U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 255d 13h 20m |
| 15 | 1.43M Epic U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 294d 10h 40m |
| 16 | 1.9M Epic U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 383d 8h |
| 17 | 2.38M Epic U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 498d 3h 33m |
| 18 | 2.85M Epic U.S.S. Reliant Parts | 648d 3h 33m |
Best crew for the U.S.S. Reliant
The Reliant is a single-purpose combat Explorer, so its bridge should lean into what the ship already does: more weapon and Isolytic damage against hostiles, plus enough survivability to sit through a longer fight. Because its bonuses only fire against Augment Exile [WOK] hostiles, build the crew around hostile-damage and mitigation officers rather than mining or PvP specialists. For current top picks, check our Officer Tier List, and keep in mind that the best crew shifts as the game’s meta moves.
One bridge seat has an obvious owner. WOK Carol Marcus has no captain’s maneuver, but her officer ability increases Common, Uncommon, Rare and Epic loot dropped by Augment Exile hostiles by 150% at rank 1 and 700% at rank 5. That stacks with Reliant Payoff and the Hijacked Reliant refit, so a Reliant with her on the bridge brings home far more Augment loot per kill. Her below-decks ability, which raises Shield Mitigation after hull damage from non-Armada hostiles, also suits the ship’s job if you would rather keep a bridge seat free.
The U.S.S. Reliant in Star Trek
The U.S.S. Reliant (NCC-1864) is real Star Trek canon, a Miranda-class starship from the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Launched in 2264 and commanded by Captain Clark Terrell, the Reliant was surveying planets for the Project Genesis experiment when it reached what the crew took to be Ceti Alpha VI. The planet was actually Ceti Alpha V, where Khan Noonien Singh had been exiled years earlier. Khan seized the ship, took Terrell and Commander Chekov captive, and turned the Reliant into the weapon he used to hunt Admiral Kirk. In the game, that history is why the ship is framed as a counter to the Augment Exile threat.
Is the U.S.S. Reliant worth it?
The U.S.S. Reliant is a specialist, not a workhorse. As a grade 4 Epic Explorer it sits in the mid grades, and it builds at Shipyard level 26, so it is reachable well before the late game. Its whole value is in the fight against Augment Exile [WOK] hostiles, where the Isolytic and Apex Barrier bonuses and the Dilithium Destabilization immunity make it far more effective than a general Explorer. If you are running that content, it earns its build; if you are not, a broader ship deserves the dock slot first.
U.S.S. Reliant FAQ
What is the best crew for the Reliant in STFC?
Seat WOK Carol Marcus on the bridge for the extra Augment Exile loot, then fill the other seats with officers that add hostile damage and mitigation. Check the Officer Tier List for the strongest current options you own.
What shipyard level do you need for the Reliant?
Shipyard level 26, plus 200 blueprints, 513,000 Tritanium and 130,000 Dilithium.
Where do U.S.S. Reliant Parts come from?
From the Augment faction store, or from the Store once you reach Operations 26 (Common), 40 (Uncommon), 51 (Rare) and 61 (Epic). They are the only resource the Reliant needs to tier up.
Is the Reliant related to the Botany Bay?
Both belong to Khan’s story. The Botany Bay is the sleeper ship that carried Khan and his Augments, and the Reliant is the ship he later seized at Ceti Alpha V.
