Ironclad cargo operations and loadouts in Star Citizen 4.10
Choosing between the Drake Ironclad and Ironclad Assault comes down to one question: are you moving freight, or are you moving a ground force?
If pure hauling is the mission, the base Ironclad is the clear choice. It carries 2,204 SCU and has three parent-hull cargo tractors. The Ironclad Assault gives up 764 SCU and those tractors to work as a forward operating base, adding vehicle support, Ship Hangar Services, and much heavier crewed firepower.
A solo player can fly either variant, but neither gives the pilot direct control of its guns. No component swap changes that. If you are flying alone, build for shorter travel and easier cargo handling; the turret firepower only exists when those stations are staffed.
Applies to: Alpha 4.10.x LIVE · Researched:
Ironclad or Ironclad Assault: which one fits the job?
| Feature | Base Ironclad | Ironclad Assault | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo capacity | 2,204 SCU | 1,440 SCU | Base for pure hauling |
| Parent-hull cargo tractors | Three S2 tractors | None | Base for loading support |
| Secondary role | Secure hold and rear garage | Vehicles, infantry, and hangar services | Base for freight; Assault for ground support |
| Stock crewed gun DPS | About 7,127 | About 15,827 | Assault with staffed turrets |
Both variants use the same detachable Command Module, which has its own tractor beam. The table's tractor count covers the parent hull: the base Ironclad has three there, while the Assault does not. The base still has the better built-in loading setup, although its rail-mounted tractor has a current control limitation covered below.
The base ship's ramp and retracting roof give you ground-level and vertical loading paths. The Assault keeps the roof and can carry up to four Nova tanks or equivalent vehicles, but its smaller grid and missing parent-hull tractors make it the weaker pure hauler.
Choose the Assault when cargo supports a vehicle or infantry operation. Its current Ship Hangar Services can refuel, repair, and rearm supported vehicles or small craft in the service area. The planned fabricator is not enabled, so you cannot make replacement components aboard the ship yet.
Pre-flight checklist and loading strategy
Always inspect an empty ship. Discovering a broken door or glitched control station with a full cargo grid is a costly mistake.
- Test systems first: Power on, cycle the main ramp and retracting cargo roof, and test the flight seat you plan to use. If the Command Module has been handed off, check that control path before loading.
- Verify tractors: Enter each tractor station and confirm that its beam responds. The base Ironclad's rail-mounted tractor may still aim and pull while refusing to slide from the operations seat. Rebinding has no confirmed benefit, and no workaround is currently confirmed.
- Keep backup tools: Bring an ATLS or another cargo tool suited to the containers you plan to move. It provides another loading path when the fixed tractor angle cannot cover the transfer; it does not restore the rail control.
- Maintain an aisle: Pick one clean loading path—roof for a vertical transfer or ramp for a ground approach—and leave a working aisle until the final containers are aboard.
If a required door, tractor station, or flight control fails this check, store the ship or claim a fresh one before buying cargo.
With two people, one can move containers from the elevator or staging point into the bay while the other snaps them to the grid. For a multi-stop run, keep the first delivery accessible instead of burying it behind later stops. That usually means loading the final stop deeper in the bay.
Use the secure section for smaller valuable or sensitive freight when you want it separated from the main load. Before departure, close the ramp and roof and walk through the bay once. Check that the cargo is snapped to the grid, nothing blocks a door or lift, and loose equipment has been stowed.
Keep the Command Module attached for routine hauling
The Command Module can operate independently, but leaving it attached is the better default for standard hauling. Detaching it adds another docking and control-state transition. Unless the operation needs a separate craft, leave the Command Module attached.
Keep these operational factors and known risks in mind:
- Efficient repositioning: The left operations-bridge seat can fly the parent hull, allowing the loading crew to reposition the ship without walking back to the Command Module.
- Handoff control state: The Ironclad operations-seat Workaround tracks jump or zoom inputs becoming unavailable after a Command Module handoff. The incident is scoped to 4.9.x and is not confirmed in 4.10, so treat it as a reason to avoid unnecessary handoffs rather than proof of a current failure.
- Solo flight: Neither Ironclad has pilot-controlled guns. The base ship has about 7,127 stock crewed gun DPS and the Assault about 15,827, but those figures assume staffed stations. When flying solo, choose the safer route and leave a fight rather than counting on an empty turret network.
- Post-quantum cargo-body loss: If the Command Module remains accessible after quantum travel but the cargo body does not, no reliable recovery is confirmed. No current 4.10 report shows that exact split followed by a successful recovery, and Alt-F4 is not dependable recovery. The Ironclad post-quantum cargo-body incident explains the exact symptom. The separate Ironclad retrieval-state incident remains scoped to 4.9.x.
What to change in an Ironclad loadout
For standard cargo runs, keep the stock loadout. The S3 Kama is already practical for normal routes, and the stock shields, power plants, coolers, and weapons already do the job.
| System | Default choice | Change it when | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum drive | Keep the S3 Kama | Repeated long routes make travel time the priority | Fit an Erebos for faster general travel |
| Shields | Keep four S3 Strongholds | A different shield trade-off matters to your role | No default cargo swap is needed |
| Power and cooling | Keep two Ginzels and three ThermalCores | A specific build exceeds the stock operating margin | A standard cargo fit does not need the swap |
| Turret guns and missiles | Keep the stock package | A regular gun crew wants a specific range or sustain trade-off | Empty stations gain nothing from new weapons |
Quantum drive
Keep the Kama if the Ironclad only makes occasional long trips. It already has enough range for normal routes and costs nothing to retain.
Fit an Erebos when faster travel and shorter cooldowns will save time across repeated runs. Agni uses less fuel, but fuel economy matters less on an Ironclad than it does on a ship with a tight quantum tank. Current acquisition and the full S3 comparison are in the Star Citizen 4.10 quantum-drive Guide.
Shields, power, and cooling
Both variants start with four S3 Stronghold shields, two S3 Ginzel power plants, and three S3 ThermalCore coolers. Keep them for ordinary cargo or vehicle-support work. Change one only when another build needs something the stock set does not provide, and account for what the swap gives up.
Weapons
Keep the stock turret and missile package until a regular gun crew has a specific range or sustain problem to solve. The base ship has twin S5 guns and several smaller crewed or remote mounts. The Assault adds a quad-S5 turret and more S3 coverage. Neither ship gives the pilot direct fire. Empty turrets gain nothing from upgraded guns.
Cargo equipment
The base Ironclad's three parent-hull tractors are the better built-in cargo setup, but the current rail-control problem makes independent loading equipment useful. Keep an ATLS or another tool suited to your containers available when the fixed tractor angle cannot cover the transfer.
The Assault relies on that equipment more often because its parent hull has no cargo tractors. The Command Module's beam remains available, but it does not replace the base ship's three loading positions.
How much crew is enough?
One player can move either ship, but that is the ferry configuration. Loading stops whenever you return to the pilot seat, and every turret remains empty.
With two players, one can move cargo between the elevator and bay while the other builds the grid. Once underway, the second player can take a defensive station. A third player can keep the flight seat occupied while the cargo pair works, which matters when the ship must be repositioned during loading.
The Assault needs people if you want its advantages to matter. Vehicle handling, hangar services, infantry support, and crewed weapons are separate jobs. If those roles will remain empty, the base ship's extra 764 SCU is usually more useful.
The rated crews of seven and nine show how many people the ships support, not how many friends you must gather before leaving the hangar. Count the jobs that need to happen at the same time and crew for those.
Sources
- RSI's Drake Ironclad flyable page for the current variant roles, capacities, and rated crews.
- RSI's DefenseCon 2956 Q&A and Alpha 4.8 feature Q&A for Command Module and Ship Hangar Services boundaries.
- RSI's Alpha 4.10 patch notes for current Ironclad fixes.
- Ironclad and Ironclad Assault ship data for installed components, weapon mounts, tractors, and vehicle-bay details.
- Ironclad and Ironclad Assault Alpha 4.10 performance data for the stock DPS comparison.
- Mirrored STARC-217393 report and a current 4.10 player report for the rail-tractor control state.