Shield Array

The Shield Array is one of 8 machines you can build at your Asterion base in CONTRABAND. Once placed, it produces recharges shield 100% continuously while you are away and ready to claim when you return.

Why build a Shield Array

Base machines are how you turn time spent away from the game into in-game resources. The Shield Array converts idle real-world time into recharges shield 100%, which becomes the backbone of mid-to-late game economy if you set it up early.

Construction cost and prerequisites

Building the Shield Array costs 48,000 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 Shield Array 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 Shield Array fits mid-build.

Strategy notes

The Shield Array pays for itself in roughly 96 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.