Star Citizen Salvage Guide — Hull Scraping & RMC (4.5)
Star Citizen salvage guide: hull scraping, structural salvage, converting wrecks into RMC and CM, and selling recovered materials (Alpha 4.5).
Visual Walkthrough
Introduction to Salvage Operations
Salvage in Alpha 4.5 involves a multi-stage process to recover materials and components from ships. Success requires active management of power, thermal loads, and component health. Core Materials: • Recycled Material Composite (RMC): Extracted from hulls. • Construction Materials (CM): Produced from structural disintegration. • Components: Salvageable internal parts such as Coolers, Power Plants, and Fuses.
Stage I: Hull Scraping
The initial phase involves stripping the outer armor and plating. • Tools: Drake Vulture, Aegis Reclaimer, or Handheld Multi-Tool. • Mechanism: Salvage beams convert surface layers into liquid RMC for SCU container processing. • 4.5 Update: Beams now interact with physicalized armor layers. Some legacy wrecks may currently return 'No Material' due to surface reading bugs.
Stage II: Structural Salvage
This phase breaks down the internal frame after hull scraping is complete. • Fracturing: Toggling Salvage Mode (M) and using (Left Alt + W) to break the vessel into chunks. • Disintegration: Converting chunks into raw Construction Materials (CM). • Controls: Managed via specific MFD toggles or keybinds depending on ship configuration.
Component Salvage and Fuses
Physicalized ship parts can be manually extracted for use or resale. • Extraction: Use a tractor beam to pull parts from internal ship racks. • Fuses: A primary target in 4.5. Harvested from wrecks to replace blown fuses in active ships. • RMC Canisters: Manual canisters are available at Cargo Centers for handheld hull repair without specialized ships.
Engineering and Power Allocation
Salvage operations are now tied to the ship's engineering loop. • Power Budget: Salvage heads (Cinch, Araid) draw high power. Ensure Utility relays are active via the Engineering terminal. • Relay Maintenance: High-intensity use can overload relays. Engineers must monitor fuse health in the internal compartments of the Vulture or Reclaimer.
Thermal Loads and Module Wear
Operational efficiency is tied to hardware maintenance. • Degradation: Module efficiency drops significantly once component health falls below 75%. • Fire Hazards: Overclocking salvage beams beyond standard limits can cause electrical fires in the engineering section. • Maintenance: Regular inspection of salvage modules is required to prevent beam shutdown.
Salvage Vessel Comparison
Choosing the right ship for the operation: • Drake Vulture: Solo salvage vessel with 12+ SCU capacity. Optimized for scraping and fracturing. • Aegis Reclaimer: Multi-crew heavy vessel with 300+ SCU capacity. Optimized for large-scale disintegration.
Specialized Salvage Modules
Salvage heads can be swapped to prioritize different outcomes: • Cinch: High efficiency but low speed. Maximizes RMC yield per surface area. • Araid: High speed and larger beam diameter. Lower efficiency, but ideal for clearing large surfaces quickly.
Logistics: Sell Locations
Materials can be sold at various hubs depending on legality: • Legal: Commodity Trading & Shipping (CTS) at New Babbage, Orison, Area18, and Lorville. • Grey/Illegal: GrimHEX, Brio's Breaker Yard, Samson & Son's. • Nyx System: The Nyx Gateway and Levski offer dedicated salvage contracts and rentals.
Known Issue: Refinery Yield Inversion
Alpha 4.5 Advisory: • Bug Status: There is a verified issue where refinery output for RMC and CM is currently flipped. • Impact: Players may receive approximately 30% yield instead of the intended 70%. • Strategy: Adjust profit expectations until a technical hotfix is deployed.
Contract Management
Salvage work is acquired via the Contract Manager: • Legal Scrapping: Purchased rights to wrecks (2,000 to 50,000+ aUEC). • Risky Salvage: High-value wrecks in unmonitored space; requires speed before security forces arrive. • Illegal Cleanup: Paid missions to disintegrate crime-related evidence.
Advanced Technical Notes
Specific mechanics for Alpha 4.5: • Soft Death: Ships at 0 Hull enter a 'Bleed Out' state. Power remains active briefly, allowing component extraction before total destruction. • VR Support: Salvage UIs and depth indicators now render in 3D for experimental VR users. • Reclaimer Fuses: Requires 17 individual fuses across multiple boxes to maintain full claw operation.
Quick Reference
SALVAGE MATERIALS OVERVIEW
- Recycled Material Composite (RMC): Extracted from hull scraping; used for ship repair and trade. - Construction Materials (CM): Produced via structural fracture and disintegration. - Components: Internal parts including Coolers, Power Plants, Shield Generators, and Fuses.
SALVAGE WORKFLOW STAGES
1. Hull Scraping: Strip armor/plating into liquid RMC using salvage beams. 2. Structural Salvage: Fracture the vessel into chunks, then disintegrate into CM (Left Alt + W). 3. Component Stripping: Use tractor beams to extract fuses and internal modules from racks.
ENGINEERING & POWER MANAGEMENT
- Power Allocation: Ensure specific Weapon/Utility relays are powered via Engineering terminals. - Relay Maintenance: High-intensity use can overload relays; monitor fuse health to prevent beam shutdown. - Wear and Thermal: Efficiency drops below 75% health; overclocking causes electrical fires.
VESSEL & MODULE SELECTION
- Drake Vulture: Solo operations; 12+ SCU capacity; ideal for light scraping. - Aegis Reclaimer: Multi-crew; 300+ SCU capacity; optimized for large-scale disintegration. - Module Choice: Cinch (High efficiency/Slow) vs. Araid (High speed/Large diameter).
LOGISTICS & ALPHA 4.5 ALERTS
- Sell Locations: CTS at major landing zones, Salvage Yards (Brio’s, GrimHEX), and Nyx Gateway. - Contract Types: Legal (Paid rights), Risky (Timed/Unmonitored), and Illegal Cleanup. - Bug Alert: Refinery yield for RMC/CM is currently inverted (approx. 30% actual yield).
TECHNICAL SURVIVAL NOTES
- Soft Death: Power remains active temporarily at 0 Hull; extract components before meltdown. - Reclaimer Fuse Requirement: Requires 17 fuses across relay boxes for full claw operation. - RMC Canisters: Manual repair is possible using refillable canisters from Cargo Centers.