Assault Frigate
The Assault Frigate is the entry-level Epic-tier ship in CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold and represents the first major wealth milestone players hit in Chapter 2 or early Chapter 3. At 120,000 credits it requires serious credit accumulation — significantly more than the 78,000cr Corvette — but its stats justify the cost. With 320 HP, 240 shield, decent speed/agility, and 35 cargo, it fills every role the Rare tier could not quite fill.
The Assault Frigate's role in the Core Worlds Alliance fleet is front-line warfare: these ships take hits meant for capital ships while delivering sustained offensive pressure through their pulse weapon arrays. Civilian ownership of Assault Frigates is legal but closely monitored — the ship's weapon profile is genuinely military-grade, and Core Worlds patrols track Frigate movements. Flying one attracts attention, for better or worse.
Strategy and role
The Assault Frigate is the first ship in the game where the pilot can genuinely stand in an engagement rather than dance around it. Its 560 combined HP+shield is roughly equivalent to a Chapter 3 Scourge Dreadnought and substantially above most Chapter 3 enemy fighters. In group combat, the Frigate survives incoming fire long enough to burn down targets one by one.
Abilities:
- Pulse Array — Fires 5 pulse shots in rapid succession. Each pulse deals medium energy damage. Ignores 25% of shields per hit.
- Reinforced Hull — Passive: +15% damage reduction when HP is above 50%. Encourages aggressive play.
- Combat Flare — Active: Next 2 enemy attacks miss. One use per combat. Functionally a "skip damage" button for anticipated heavy hits.
- Breakthrough — Ram an enemy for kinetic damage scaled to current speed. Works exceptionally well after a Breakthrough crew member buff.
How to acquire
The Assault Frigate is sold at Tellen's Rest and Verge Station for 120,000cr, requiring Core Worlds reputation ≥ 30 for sale authorization. An alternative acquisition: successful completion of the Chapter 2 "Flagship Recovery" side mission (available after defeating any Scourge Raider) can yield a free Assault Frigate with slightly reduced stats (HP 290, shield 220). This is the most efficient early acquisition path for players with strong early combat skills.
Selling an Assault Frigate returns 72,000cr (60% of purchase). The trade-in does not require Core Worlds reputation, but selling to non-Core Worlds buyers (Keros black market, Weaver-aligned traders) yields only 55,000cr due to export restrictions on military-grade hulls.
Upgrade path
From Assault Frigate, the natural progression is the Capital Warship (450,000cr Legendary). This is a major price jump but the stats are fully commensurate. Alternative Epic-tier upgrades include the Phantom (165,000cr) for players who prefer stealth and evasion, or the Voidreaver (220,000cr) for players who want experimental, adaptive systems.
Best crew pairings
- Kairos (Gunner) — +15% damage on Pulse Array's 5-shot attack produces enormous cumulative damage.
- Brood-7 (Engineer) — +10 HP per jump stacks with Reinforced Hull's damage reduction for near-unkillable status.
- Echo of a Weaver (Seer) — 1 free rewind per chapter provides insurance for high-stakes combat.
Lore and design notes
The Assault Frigate's model (Spaceship (9).glb) has the characteristic boxy silhouette of Core Worlds military design: prioritizing internal volume and structural strength over aesthetic considerations. The ship looks like a flying brick with gun pods, and that impression is correct. Military doctrine holds that an Assault Frigate's job is to be where needed, absorb what must be absorbed, and deliver what must be delivered. Grace is not required.
Three Assault Frigates are referenced in game lore as having been lost during the Second Verge Uprising approximately 120 years before the game. Their call signs — Burning Edge, Persistent, and Unnamed — appear briefly in Chapter 3 dialogue if the player is flying an Assault Frigate during a specific Core Worlds dispatch scene. The dialogue implies these lost ships are somewhere in the Silent Fold, possibly as Fold Echoes.
Comparison with other Epic-tier ships
The Assault Frigate is the most balanced Epic-tier ship. The Phantom (165,000cr) outperforms it in agility and stealth but has less HP. The Voidreaver (220,000cr) is strictly superior in every combat metric but costs 83% more. Within the Epic tier, the Assault Frigate fills the "entry-level flagship" role — the first ship where a pilot feels like they are flying a serious warship.