Anvil Legionnaire Q&A Following the concept release of the Anvil Legionnaire, we took your community-voted questions to our designers to provide you with more information on the recently unveiled boarding ship.
What conditions must be met for the Legionnaire to dock? For example, does the target ship have to be immobilized and its shields overcome, or can the Legionnaire dock mid-flight? The conditions are the same as current ship-to-ship docking as featured on the Constellation and Merlin. So, the ships must be aligned and orientated correctly. This can be done at any speed, although the slower the better. The only difference is the Legionnaire can override the docking permission system usually controlled by the target ship.
What happens if the target ship quantum jumps while the Legionnaire is docked? The Legionnaire will quantum with it, which is the same as any ship docked to another one.
What is the planned range of the Legionnaire’s hacking capabilities? This is still to be determined based on testing but expect it to be “relatively” close; a few kilometers, not dozens or hundreds.
How can players counter the Legionnaire’s hacking ability? The hacking mechanic is intended to have gameplay for both sides (hacking and counter-hacking). In instances with no other player present (attempting to board an NPC ship or non-Legionnaire scenarios such as hacking environmental setups), the counter role is performed by AI.
What can be hacked on the target vessel? For example, will we be able to disable or active self-destruct, open and close airlocks, and manipulate thrusters? The Legionnaire’s systems are dedicated to the specific and directed task of overriding and overcoming the docking/air-traffic control systems of the target ship, which in-universe is a sufficient challenge by itself. They are not able to address the other command systems of the target ship.
What hangar and landing pad sizes will the Legionnaire use? Also, will it fit inside capital ships like that Polaris and Idris? The dimensions of the Legionnaire fit within what we term an “XS” hangar/pad, which is the same classification as single-seater ships from the Arrow up to the Prospector.
Can the Legionnaire also be used against ships that do not have an airlock, such as the Crusader Hercules? Are turret hardpoints alternative dockable breakthrough points? At this point in time, we are only committing to it being able to breach dedicated airlock entry points, both the small and large varieties. While we would like manned turrets to be valid breach points in the future via EVA, it is not currently planned to allow automated docking systems to dock with them.
Will the docking port tunnel on the Legionnaire provide any cover for its boarding team? Will we be able to deploy portable barriers into the docking collar to use as cover? There are deployable covers built into the tunnel to help the boarding team make it to the target.
Does the Legionnaire have crew facilities (beds, storage, kitchen, toilet, etc.)? No. The ship is designed to complete a mission and return to base, not stay out for extended durations.
What equipment can be transported for the boarding team? For example, can it carry heavy weapons and can heavy armor be worn in the jumpseats? There is space on board to store heavy/special weapons and heavy armor. We are working with the Core Gameplay Pillar to ensure that if heavy armor cannot be worn in the seats (as not all seats will have this restriction), then it is in the least impactful place to allow quick equipping before boarding.
Does the Legionnaire have any measures to disguise itself from early detection? No. There are no dedicated features for this. The Legionnaire relies on its shields and armor to get it to its target.
Are the hacking/boarding mechanics unique to the Legionnaire or will they be available to other electronic warfare platforms? The combination of hacking/boarding is part of the Legionnaire’s default setup/behavior. So while other ships may be able to get the hacking ability, it would be at the cost of other blade-controlled electronic warfare roles, whereas the Legionnaire has it built in. For example, you could “upgrade” the Vanguard Sentinel to support ATC hacking but you’d need to manually EVA over to board after that.
How maneuverable will the Legionnaire be compared to the Cutlass Steel, Prowler, Vanguard Hoplite, and Valkyrie? Its maneuverability will be closest to the Steel but as the ship progresses during development, we’ll adjust it as necessary to reflect its much heavier armor.
How heavy is the armor compared to other ships considering it might take hits from much larger vessels as a boarding ship? It’s designed to take significant fire on approach, so it’s relatively heavily armored compared to other dropships and much closer to other Anvil ships such as the Terrapin.
Who controls the turrets and shields while the Legionnaire is in flight and docked? The co-pilot is in control of one turret as well as the hacking system. The pilot has the other turret slaved to his view and both can manage the shields.
Will the boarding mechanic be possible with an NPC crew or do we need real players? Will the Legionnaire be able to use blades to increase its hacking power or automate it if a crewman isn’t present? NPC co-pilots will be able to do the role if no Human is present, as this is required for the counter hacking gameplay on NPC ships regardless.
Will it get specialized ‘bounty seats’ or cells for holding captured enemies? No. There is no functionality of this type on board the Legionnaire.
Disclaimer The answers accurately reflect development’s intentions at the time of writing, but the company and development team reserve the right to adapt, improve, or change feature and ship designs in response to feedback, playtesting, design revisions, or other considerations to improve balance or the quality of the game overall.