It took less than a week for members of the Elite Dangerous community to kill a Thargoid. It might be a few days (if not longer) before solo pilots manage to replicate the feat, partly because we don’t all have access to the same combat support and material resources as Smiling Dog Crew. But the kill does prove the resurgent alien invaders aren’t nearly as unconquerable as they seemed a few days ago.
Word of the kill began to spread on Thursday afternoon, when SDC broadcasted the event on Twitch. Reactions ran the gamut, from those hoping to replicate the accomplishment with their friends to those upset that taking down a Thargoid proved to be much easier than most ED pilots anticipated. Others saw the 2 million credit bond the group claimed for the kill and felt inspired to do a little Thargoid hunting of their own when they got home. Few other pilots have successfully replicated SDC’s kill yet. But a group of Xbox One players say they managed to kill a Thargoid with just three pilots. They even published a guide for the task.
SDC’s piloting skills played a role in the takedown. But it wasn’t the only thing they had going for them. Thanks to the Elite Dangerous community’s efforts during a number of recent events, pilots have access to a small assortment of anti-Thargoid technology (isn’t that convenient). Two new missile launchers, the solo AX Missile Rack and a Multi-Crew compatible version of the same launcher, can now be purchased at several stations. Pilots can also add a new Xeno Scanner, which enables sub-targeting on Thargoid ships, to their preferred combat vessel(s). Thanks to SDC, we know the missile racks are strong enough to neutralize the Thargoids’ shields. The Xeno Scanner identifies the “hearts” of the ship’s appendages(?) and shows pilots a health bar for the vessel. And conventional weaponry will finish the job your new modules started.
Here are the locations we know have the new modules in stock:
Jemison Installation at 109 Piscium 5 A
Michell Depot in Eurybia
Alcazars Hope in Merope
Elite Dangerous is currently available for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Elite Dangerous news in 2017 and however long Frontier Developments supports Elite Dangerous in the years ahead.
