Starfield Build: Vertibird

 

XVB-12 Vertibird

 

Introduction

WARNING: This ship uses extensive merging techniques to combine the Reactor, Fuel, Grav Drive, Shield, and Docker together. Rather than try to explain each step, please visit Crimson Flyboy's tutorial video on merging. I used the drop merging technique on those pieces.

Just for kicks, I decided to make a kind of Vertibird to celebrate the Fallout 4 Remaster that is about to be released. Obviously, it isn't going to be a 1 to 1 conversion. The scales are completely different. I was more interested in getting the general feel of the Vertibird down.

 

Head Canon/Lore

In one of the many universes out there, Earth was not destroyed by the tidal gravitational forces created with early grav drive technology. No, it's demise was the product of more direct means, by way of global thermonuclear war.

In the centuries that followed, mankind began to recover. It was a glacially slow and painstaking progress, often set back by the petty squabbles of factions trying to establish power bases and footholds. One such entity, known as the Brotherhood of Steel, led the charge.

At first, the Brotherhood's goal was to amass technology and control its use. As with many such organizations, that focus changed to not only collecting dangerous technology, but developing it. Some three hundred years later, the Brotherhood has taken to space. One of their own, Scribe Aiza, developed a method of interstellar travel that he dubbed the Grav Drive and it has enabled possibilities far beyond shepherding the denizens of a broken Earth.

The XVB-12 Vertibird is the Brotherhood's mainline personnel transport and fighting craft. Somehow the Grav Drive technology escaped the Brotherhood's iron fist, and now other factions have taken to the stars as well. The Brotherhood must be ready to face them.

 

Components

All of the components should be available at the Outpost Landing Pad with Builder. This ship was constructed on a Level 30 character with Ship Design 3.

1. HopeTech Hope 5 Landing Gear
2. HopeTech Hope 4 Landing Bay
3. (2) Horizon Weapon Mount
4. (2) Flare P 15 MW Pulse Laser, attached to Horizon Mount
5. (2) KE-20A Autocannon, attached to Horizon Mount
6. Deimos Tail A
7. Deimos Spine D - Aft
8. Nova Galactic All-in-One Berth A 2x1
9. (2) 220 B Landing Gear (Port, Starboard)
10. Armstrong 10 Cockpit
11. (2) White Dwarf 1020 Engine
12. Merged Components (see below)
13. HopeTech Nose B Fore

Merged Components

1. 110 DP Docker Top
2. 154MM Toroidal Reactor
3. R-3000 Grav Drive
4. 500T He3 Tank
5. 40S Protector Shield Generator

Assembly

Merge all of the components listed in the Merged Components section together. Let those sit, as it is easier to move the non-merged components to connect with them later.

Assemble the remainder of the components, except the Engines and the Nose B Fore. Group Select the Hope Landing Gear, Landing Bay, and Horizon Mounts. The forward connect point of the Landing Bay attaches to the underside of the Cockpit.

Group select the assembled structure and move it so that it connects to the Merged Components at the  top, front of the 2x1 Hab. 

Attach the Nose B Fore to the front of the Merged Components. It will need to be Flip Merged to get it to stick. Attach the Engines to the sides of the Merged Components.

 

Upgrade Path

A lot of the components can be upgraded directly from the Upgrade window, without needing to re-merge them. For example, when the final version of the Toroidal Reactor is unlocked or the you want to upgrade the Grav Drive to the R-4000, that is easily done.

Upgrading the Reactor class, and any of the merged components, to B-class will require the Merged Components to be reassembled.

Aside from the internals, there are two open connect points on the aft of the All-in-One Hab. These can be used to mount cargo bays, extra engines, or even some Bracer with additional weapons.

Final Build