Best Quantum Drives in Star Citizen 4.10: What to Use and Where to Get Them
Which drive should you use in Alpha 4.10.x, and how can you actually obtain it? The answer changes with drive size, route length, fuel capacity, and whether the drive you want is actually available to buy.
Applies to: Alpha 4.10.x LIVE · Researched:
Short answer
S1
FoxFire or Atlas
FoxFire for the highest cruise speed; Atlas for shorter cooldowns and frequent hops. LightFire uses the least fuel of these S1 options.
S2
Hemera
The strongest general-purpose stock choice. SunFire has the higher cruise speed; SparkFire is the more fuel-efficient S2 option.
S3
Erebos
The best pick for fast everyday travel. Agni is the more fuel-efficient alternative and can still be bought normally.
XL-1
Situational now
Do not grind for it as a normal travel upgrade. It is slower and more fuel-hungry than the leading S2 travel drives, and ordinary shops no longer sell it.
There is no universal best quantum drive. Cruise speed is only part of the picture. Spool time, cooldown, route length, and your ship’s fuel capacity can all change which drive is faster or more practical.
S1, S2, and S3 compared
| Drive | Size | Best for | Major trade-off | Current acquisition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FoxFire | S1 | Long-route speed | Longer cooldown than Atlas | Buy: Orison or New Babbage |
| Atlas | S1 | Frequent hops | About as fast overall | Buy: HUR-L5 |
| LightFire | S1 | Lowest fuel use | Slower travel | Buy: several Stanton shops |
| Hemera | S2 | General use | SunFire has higher cruise speed | Buy: Orison or CRU-L5 |
| SunFire | S2 | Maximum stock cruise speed | Longer cooldown | Buy: multiple shops |
| SparkFire | S2 | Lowest fuel use | Slower and longer cooldown | Buy: GrimHEX or Baijini Point |
| Erebos | S3 | Fast general travel | Higher fuel use | Buy: ARC-L1 |
| Agni | S3 | Lowest fuel use | Slower and longer cooldown | Buy: Everus Harbor or New Babbage |
| XL-1 | S2 | Fast spool for combat | Slow, fuel-hungry; no normal shop purchase | Craft: Master Covalex blueprint pool |
Best Size 1 quantum-drive choices
FoxFire has the highest stock cruise speed in the current S1 comparison. Atlas is close enough that the difference in travel time is tiny: over a 100 Gm comparison, FoxFire and Atlas finish only about one second apart.
Choose FoxFire for longer uninterrupted travel. Choose Atlas for frequent short jumps or its shorter cooldown. Choose LightFire only when conserving fuel is more important than arriving quickly.
Best Size 2 quantum-drive choices
Hemera is the most balanced stock S2 choice. Its cruise speed is slightly below SunFire, but its shorter spool and cooldown times let it edge out SunFire over a 100 Gm trip. On very long jumps, SunFire can pull ahead because its top speed is higher.
SparkFire is slower, but uses the least fuel of these S2 choices. The XL-1 is no longer the automatic upgrade: in 4.10 it is slower than Hemera and SunFire, uses considerably more fuel, and cannot be bought from a normal in-game shop. Its short spool time can still suit a combat-focused loadout, but most players seeking normal travel should buy Hemera instead.
Best Size 3 quantum-drive choices
For fast S3 travel, Erebos is the easiest pick. It is faster than both Agni and TS-2, and also spools and cools down faster than Agni.
Agni is the fuel-efficient alternative. It travels more slowly, but uses less fuel and can still be bought normally. The TS-2 still works, but it is no longer the fastest stock S3 choice in 4.10.
Where to get the recommended drives
- Atlas: Platinum Bay at HUR-L5.
- FoxFire and Hemera: Cousin Crow's in Orison. FoxFire is also listed at Omega Pro in New Babbage; Hemera is also listed at CRU-L5.
- SparkFire: Dumper's Depot at GrimHEX or Platinum Bay at Baijini Point.
- Erebos: Platinum Bay at ARC-L1.
- Agni: Platinum Bay at Everus Harbor or Omega Pro in New Babbage. Its blueprint also appears in FTL courier reward pools.
- XL-1: No ordinary in-game shop is currently listed for the XL-1. It can be crafted after receiving its blueprint from the Master Covalex reward pool; the specific blueprint is not guaranteed.
You may see XL-1s on player markets, but that is different from buying one from a normal in-game shop. Before travelling across the system for one component, check a current item database—the shop listings can change after a LIVE update.
What changed in 4.10
Alpha 4.10 rebalanced quantum speed, fuel use, spool and cooldown times, and many ship fuel capacities. Most quantum drives became faster, but the old rule that high-grade military drives were automatically the best travel choice no longer holds.
- Military grade no longer means the fastest practical trip.
- XL-1 is no longer the obvious S2 travel upgrade.
- TS-2 is no longer the fastest stock S3 choice.
- Cruise speed alone does not determine short- or medium-route time.
- How far a drive can take you also depends on your ship’s quantum-fuel capacity.
What to keep in mind
LightFire, SparkFire, and Agni currently look like the most fuel-efficient options in their sizes, but that does not automatically make them the longest-range choice for every ship. Your ship’s quantum tank and the route you are flying still matter.
Crafted drives can also perform differently from the stock versions listed here, so compare like with like when looking at stats.
If you need to know whether a specific ship can make a specific jump, use a dedicated range or loadout tool. This guide is here to help you choose a drive and find it, not list every component and every possible route.
This guide was checked against the current Alpha 4.10.x LIVE data. We’ll recheck the recommendations when 4.10.1 reaches LIVE.