Vanduul Incursion is the new InterSec Defense Solutions contract line in Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.3, and it's a big new source of combat pay and blueprints in Nyx. You fight the Vanduul and the Shattered Blade outlaw clan out in deep space. The top tier, a Mauler takedown, lists 2,004,000 aUEC in the current PTU build. This guide covers every new contract, the InterSec rank each one needs, what it pays, which blueprints it drops, and how to handle the Mauler without losing your ship.
One thing first: 4.10.3 is still on the PTU (Public Test Universe), not LIVE. The live build is still Alpha 4.10.2. CIG opened 4.10.3 to all backer waves on October 30, 2026 as build `4.10.3-PTU.13055118`. Everything below is from that build, so numbers can still change before release.
Quick answer (Alpha 4.10.3 PTU, build 13055118): Vanduul Incursion is a set of InterSec Defense Solutions contracts in the Nyx system. On LIVE you'll need to finish the Vanduul-Tech Smugglers work for Welcome To Nyx first; on the PTU every contract is open. Mission types: Shattered Blade Raid (Jr. Contractor, 72,500 aUEC + Skarnov rifle blueprint), Retake Ship (Contractor), Vanduul Clan Extermination and the 3-Way Standoff (both Veteran Contractor, up to 493,250 aUEC + heavy armor blueprints), and Seek and Destroy Maulers (Head to Elite Contractor, up to 2,004,000 aUEC + Behring cannon blueprints). The hardest tiers are built for crews. The new LBCO Skarnov energy rifle is the Rank 1 reward. There is no LIVE date for 4.10.3 yet.
What is Vanduul Incursion in Star Citizen 4.10.3?
Vanduul Incursion is a mission pack, not a timed event. CIG's roadmap lists it for 4.10.3 as the "Intersec Defence Solutions Mission Pack", the third content drop for Alpha 4.10 (Roadmap Roundup, October 21, 2026).
CIG's own description, from the official 4.10.3 PTU patch notes:
"Intersec Defence Solutions has opened a new contract line against the Vanduul and the Shattered Blade clan. These contracts will be fought out in deep space rather than at existing locations, and will put experienced pilots and ground teams up against the most aggressive force in the system. Expect to meet Blades, Glaives, Scythes, Stingers, and more."
Three things make it different from the InterSec bounties already live in Nyx:
- New locations. CIG added new space and FPS combat points of interest across Nyx, including the auxiliary stations used by the Shattered Blade Raid.
- Blueprint rewards. The upper tiers give crafting blueprints, not just aUEC. The roster covers a new energy rifle, two heavy armor sets, a flight suit and a set of ship cannons.
- A two-sided fight. The 3-Way Standoff throws you, the Vanduul and the Shattered Blade together. In CIG's words, "Everyone is a target, including you."
The feedback survey on RSI's official Vanduul Incursion feedback thread is open until November 15. That's a survey deadline. It doesn't mean the missions end then.
How do you unlock the Vanduul Incursion missions?
On LIVE, most of the line will sit behind the existing Nyx questline. CIG says it "will require completing the Vanduul Tech Smugglers work for Welcome To Nyx before it becomes available, but for the PTU, all of the contracts will be available."
The Vanduul-Tech Smugglers investigation contract is already in the live game under InterSec. It lists 1,370,500 aUEC in the current data, so it's worth doing anyway.
After that, each contract is gated by your InterSec standing. Here's the full ladder from the 4.10.3 PTU contract data:
| InterSec rank | Reputation needed | What it opens in Vanduul Incursion |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral | 0 | Living Vanduul Sample (cryopod collection) |
| Jr. Contractor (Rank 1) | 800 | Raid Shattered Blade Base |
| Contractor (Rank 2) | 2,200 | Retake Boarded Vessel |
| Sr. Contractor (Rank 3) | 5,800 | Nothing new in this pack |
| Veteran Contractor (Rank 4) | 15,000 | Clan Extermination, 3-Way Standoff, first takedown tier |
| Head Contractor (Rank 5) | 38,000 | Eradicate tier, Seek and Destroy Maulers (Hard) |
| Elite Contractor (Rank 6) | 95,250 | Seek and Destroy Maulers (Very Hard and Super) |
If you're not yet Veteran with InterSec, the fastest path is the existing Nyx InterSec bounties and ship-defence contracts. Our Star Citizen bounty hunting guide explains how the rank-up loop works.
What does every Vanduul Incursion contract pay?
These are the base aUEC rewards in PTU build 4.10.3-PTU.13055118, read from that build's contract data (the SCMDB 4.10.3-ptu.13055118 snapshot) and checked against the all-waves 13055118 patch notes. The same patch notes promise a "further economy balance pass across contract missions," so expect some numbers to change before LIVE.
| Mission line (CIG name) | Contract in mobiGlas | Min. rank | aUEC (PTU) | Blueprint reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shattered Blade Raid | Raid Shattered Blade Base | Jr. Contractor | 72,500 | Skarnov "Raider Camo" Rifle |
| Retake Ship | Retake Boarded Vessel | Contractor | 33,750 | None |
| Vanduul Clan Extermination | Vanduul Strike Group Detected | Veteran | 112,250 | None |
| Vanduul Clan Extermination | Counterstrike Against Vanduul Raiders | Veteran | 273,250 | Corbel Arms + Legs (Raider Camo) |
| Vanduul Clan Extermination | Intercept Vanduul Fleet | Veteran | 493,250 | Corbel Helmet + Core (Raider Camo) |
| 3-Way Standoff | Engage Shattered Blade and Vanduul | Veteran | 112,250 | None |
| 3-Way Standoff | Neutralize Vanduul and Shattered Blade Threat | Veteran | 273,250 | Palatino Arms + Legs (Raider Camo) |
| 3-Way Standoff | Stop Vanduul and Shattered Blade Hostilities | Veteran | 493,250 | Palatino Core, Backpack + Helmet (Raider Camo) |
| Takedown | Terminate UEE Threat | Veteran | 213,000 | None |
| Takedown | Eradicate UEE Threat | Head | 265,000 | None |
| Takedown | Seek and Destroy Maulers (Hard) | Head | 403,500 | None |
| Takedown | Seek and Destroy Maulers (Very Hard) | Elite | 1,291,250 | Tailwind Flight Suit + Helmet (Raider Camo) |
| Takedown | Seek and Destroy Maulers (Super) | Elite | 2,004,000 | Behring M3A, M4A + M5A Cannon (Raider Camo) |
| Gather Vanduul Cryopod | Living Vanduul Sample | None | 177,500 | One random InterSec collection blueprint: Pulse Laser Pistol, its 60-cap battery, or a Testudo "Earthshake" armor piece or backpack |
How to read the table:
- The armor sets track the patch notes. CIG promised "a new energy rifle, two new heavy armor sets, a new flight suit, and a set of new ship weapons." In the data those are the Skarnov, the Corbel and Palatino heavy sets, the Tailwind suit and the Behring M3A/M4A/M5A cannons (sizes 1–3), all in a "Raider Camo" finish.
- Full sets take multiple tiers. One contract gives you only part of the Corbel set (arms and legs). The rest (helmet and core) come from the harder tier. Plan on running both.
- Most contracts can be shared. In the data, every mercenary contract here can be shared with your party. The Living Vanduul Sample collection contract can't, and it needs a CrimeStat of 2 or lower.
- The Retake Ship payout is low. It sits at 33,750 aUEC and drops no blueprint. It's mainly a rank step. One of the most-upvoted replies on CIG's feedback thread called it "just the Bataglia mission rehashed with some things moved around."
For context, the existing Tactical Strike Group Needed contract in Nyx still lists 2,878,250 aUEC, more than the new Super Mauler tier. The two draw from different blueprint pools, so the Mauler tiers are the way to get the new Raider Camo cannons and flight suit.
How do you beat the Mauler in Seek and Destroy Maulers?
The Mauler is a Vanduul capital cruiser. It first showed up in the Persistent Universe in Alpha 4.8 as the final boss of the Tactical Strike Group mission (Star Citizen Wiki). In Seek and Destroy Maulers, you fight through waves of Vanduul until one is drawn to the incursion site. The patch notes redact its name as "[redacted] Takedown," but the PTU contract data names it.
CIG has rebalanced it twice on the PTU already:
- Build 13032516: "Mauler weaponry made considerably more dangerous."
- Build 13055118: "Mauler health reduced following its weapon damage increase."
So it now hits harder and dies faster than in the first PTU wave. Practical tips from the patch notes and tester reports:
- Bring a crew for Very Hard and Super. CIG says outright: "The higher difficulty tiers are built for crews rather than solo pilots." The Hard tier (403,500 aUEC) is the one solo pilots should try first.
- Keep small ships off the Mauler's main guns. One tester asked CIG to stop the Mauler's big lasers targeting medium and smaller ships "as they go insta pop." Let fighters clear the escort waves while heavier hulls take the cruiser.
- Don't plan on stunning or tractoring Vanduul. Build 13055118 states "Vanduul can no longer be stunned or tractor beamed by players." One reply on the r/starcitizen patch thread summed it up as "FUN DETECTED."
- Expect desync on the PTU. Testers reported enemy ships "very desyncy" and AI that stood still before engaging. Build 13032516 lists a potential fix for "Hostile mission AI spawning and then standing still for 20 to 50 seconds before engaging."
Not sure what to fly? Our best combat ship guide and best solo ship breakdown for 4.10.2 compare what's available right now.
What are Vanduul cryopods, and are dead or living pods worth more?
4.10.3 adds a second cryopod variant. Per the Wave 1 patch notes, one variant holds a living Vanduul and the new one holds a dead one, and "Dead pods are the more valuable of the two and can be traded to Wikelo." If you're farming Wikelo trades, our Wikelo guide explains how his Emporium and Favors work.
There are two InterSec cryopod contracts in the data:
- Living Vanduul Sample (new in 4.10.3): 177,500 aUEC plus one random blueprint from the InterSec collection pool (Pulse Laser Pistol, Pulse Laser Pistol Battery (60 Cap), or a Testudo "Earthshake" arms, core, legs, helmet or backpack).
- Recover Vanduul Corpses (already live in 4.10.2): 142,000 aUEC.
Check which pod type a contract or trade wants before you fill your cargo grid. Players on the feedback thread reported the living pods weren't physicalised yet and didn't stick to cargo grids in zero-g. Build 13055118 also changed the spawn rule so "Only one blue Vanduul cryopod now spawns per location." The colours are confusing: CIG's first notes call the existing red pods the living ones, while testers and the newest build's "blue" wording point the other way. Read the item name, not the tint.
What are the LBCO Skarnov rifle stats, and where do you get it?
The LBCO Skarnov is the first new Lightning Bolt Co. weapon in a while. It's a fully automatic energy DMR whose shots chain electricity to nearby targets. In the current PTU data, its blueprint source is the Raid Shattered Blade Base contract (Jr. Contractor).
| Skarnov stat (PTU) | Value |
|---|---|
| Fire modes | Fully automatic / single |
| Rate of fire | 375 RPM |
| Magazine | 30 |
| Projectile velocity (CIG figure, no unit given) | 500 |
| Aim-down-sight time | 0.25 s |
| Energy damage per shot (13055118) | 30 (raised from 10) |
| Chain jump range (13055118) | 7.5 m (up from 3.8 m) |
| Rifle mass (13055118, CIG figure) | 2.9 (down from 4.9) |
CIG designer Zac's note on the gun: "It's got a really consistent but high vertical recoil profile allowing skills operators to shut down highly armoured enemies easily but as an energy weapon the danger of over heating is present." It also overheats faster in hot environments and more slowly in cold ones.
Build 13055118 fixed two rough edges. The rifle had no firing sound ("Every one of the ten weapon report audio triggers was an empty string"). Its barrel slot also only took ballistic barrels instead of energy ones. PTU only: CIG stocks the Skarnov and its ammo at Cubby Blast (Area18), Skutters (GrimHex), Conscientious Objects (Levski) and the Checkmate weapon shop so testers can try it. Don't expect that shop list to carry over to LIVE.
How can you play Vanduul Incursion before 4.10.3 goes live?
- You need a Game Package. The PTU is open to all backers in this wave. There's no active Free Fly, so new players can't test it for free.
- The PTU server is US-only. The patch notes list "PTU Channel - US Only." Players elsewhere will have higher ping.
- PTU progress stays on the PTU. Long Term Persistence is on between PTU builds. Nothing you earn on the PTU carries over to your LIVE character.
- Expect bugs. Build 13055118 had to fix basics: quantum travel to Shattered Blade Raid locations, blueprint rewards not paying out, and Vanduul NPCs "appearing unclothed."
When does 4.10.3 go live, and will it wipe?
There is no official LIVE date. CIG only posts the release notes on the day a build ships. As of October 31, 2026 the newest LIVE build is 4.10.2, and 4.10.3 has just reached all-waves PTU. Any date you see elsewhere is a guess.
On wipes: 4.9, 4.10, 4.10.1 and 4.10.2 were all no-wipe patches. Nothing in the 4.10.3 PTU notes mentions a wipe, but CIG doesn't guarantee that. aUEC is Alpha test currency and can be reset at any patch with no reimbursement. The last full wipe was Alpha 4.8 on May 14, 2026. Treat a 2-million-aUEC Mauler run as money to spend, not to save.
If you want an aUEC buffer for ships and ammo before 4.10.3 lands, our guide to making aUEC fast covers the best loops on the current build. Don't buy aUEC from third parties. RSI's Terms of Service ban gathering in-game resources for sale outside the game and selling Virtual Goods, and penalties are at RSI's discretion and can include account termination.
Is Vanduul Incursion worth running?
Yes, if you already have Veteran standing with InterSec. The Veteran tiers pay 273,250–493,250 aUEC and drop full heavy armor sets you can craft again. For a mid-rank combat pilot in Nyx, that's the best mix of pay and rewards in the pack.
The Mauler Super tier pays the most in the pack at 2,004,000 aUEC per run and gives the cannon blueprints. It's an Elite Contractor, crewed-ship activity. New pilots should run the Shattered Blade Raid for the Skarnov blueprint and use the Living Vanduul Sample contract while they build InterSec rep. Feedback so far is mixed. Some testers say the waves are too easy for the pay, while others like how dangerous the reworked Mauler feels. Expect another balance pass before LIVE. For the rest of this patch cycle, our 4.10.2 patch notes breakdown covers what's live right now.
FAQ
Is Vanduul Incursion live in Star Citizen? Not yet. As of October 31, 2026 it's only on the Alpha 4.10.3 PTU (build 13055118), which opened to all backer waves on October 30. LIVE is still Alpha 4.10.2, and CIG hasn't given a 4.10.3 release date.
Where do you get Vanduul Incursion missions? From InterSec Defense Solutions in your mobiGlas contract manager while you're in the Nyx system. On LIVE you'll need to finish the Vanduul-Tech Smugglers work for Welcome To Nyx first. Each contract also needs a minimum InterSec rank, from Jr. Contractor for the Shattered Blade Raid up to Elite Contractor for the top Mauler tiers.
How much does Seek and Destroy Maulers pay? In PTU build 13055118 the three tiers list 403,500, 1,291,250 and 2,004,000 aUEC. The two Elite tiers also give blueprints: the Tailwind flight suit and helmet, or the Behring M3A, M4A and M5A cannons. CIG is still rebalancing payouts.
How do you get the Skarnov rifle blueprint? Complete the Raid Shattered Blade Base contract, which needs InterSec Jr. Contractor rank (800 reputation). It awards the Skarnov "Raider Camo" Rifle blueprint. On the PTU the rifle is also sold in several weapon shops for testing.
Can you solo Vanduul Incursion? The lower tiers, yes. CIG says "the higher difficulty tiers are built for crews rather than solo pilots," so Very Hard and Super Mauler takedowns are meant for groups. Some testers report soloing the wave missions on the PTU, but AI behaviour is still being tuned.
Are dead or living Vanduul cryopods worth more? CIG's patch notes say dead pods are the more valuable of the two and can be traded to Wikelo. The InterSec Living Vanduul Sample contract pays 177,500 aUEC on the PTU, versus 142,000 for Recover Vanduul Corpses.
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