What is the U.S.S. Excelsior?

The U.S.S. Excelsior is a new G5+ Epic support ship that helps you progress through the Challenge Loop by fighting special V’ger hostiles and powering a support ability that boosts all of your deployed ships. Its buffs apply across your entire fleet, not just the ship in combat. You can begin building the Excelsior at Shipyard Level 51+ using its blueprints and upgrade materials found in the Challenge Refinery and related content.

What is the Excelsior used for?

The Excelsior is specifically designed to take on the new V’ger Fighter hostiles that summoned using its active ability.By defeating these loop hostiles, the Excelsior earns fuel for its support ability, which then boosts all of your deployed ships and helps you complete the Daily Challenges and progress the Reward Track.

How does the support ability work?

The Excelsior earns ASA (Active Support Ability) fuel by defeating V’ger loop hostiles. Once you collect enough fuel, you can activate its support ability to temporarily boost all of your deployed ships across the galaxy for 5 minutes.

Passive Abilities:

Increased Iso Damage vs V'ger hostiles

Increased Apex Barrier vs V'gerhostiles

Active Abilities (ASA)

Reveal V’ger Hostile – Uncloaks a hidden hostile that attacks the player

Support Deployed Ships – Grants a new ENHANCED status that research can trigger off for global ship buffs

Also includes Prototype Transwarp Drive and distinctive torpedo-focused loadout.

Gameplay Loop: Fly to V’ger space → Reveal hostile → Defeat hostile → Earn ASA fuel + Challenge progress → Use ASA to buff deployed ships for 5 minutes → Score ship daily goal points → Use rewards to upgrade ship + research → Repeat.

Do I need the Excelsior for Daily Challenges?

You can complete the Easy and Hard Daily Challenges without it, but the Excelsior Challenge requires the ship, and having the Excelsior lets you progress faster through the Reward Track.

How does the Excelsior improve my rewards?

Using the Excelsior helps you defeat more loop hostiles, complete the Excelsior Challenge, progress the Reward Track faster, and unlock exclusive refinery items and ship missions tied to its progression.