Comm Relay

The Comm Relay is one of 8 machines you can build at your Asterion base in CONTRABAND. Once placed, it produces reveals all systems in region continuously while you are away and ready to claim when you return.

Why build a Comm Relay

Base machines are how you turn time spent away from the game into in-game resources. The Comm Relay converts idle real-world time into reveals all systems in region, which becomes the backbone of mid-to-late game economy if you set it up early.

Construction cost and prerequisites

Building the Comm Relay costs 18,000 credits. Prerequisites: you must have claimed Asterion as your base region (which happens automatically after the Chapter 2 base intro mission). Some machines also require components — a Comm Relay purchase from the build menu will show you which.

Optimal placement order

Most pilots build machines in this order: Mineral Extractor first (steady ore income), then Comm Relay (reveals systems for plotting trade routes), then Auto-Fabricator (turns ore into components for sale or use). The Comm Relay fits in the early build queue.

Strategy notes

The Comm Relay pays for itself in roughly 36 hours of play time, depending on how often you check in. Pilots who play in long sessions get more value from passive machines; pilots who play short bursts get more from on-demand machines like the Hull Repair Bay.