Merits
Early accessCitadel is still in development. Numbers and rules on this page can change between patches. Last checked October 2026.
Merits are the score a captain earns for a faction. They set your rank, the faction quartermaster takes them as payment, and the faction with the highest Merit total wins the Faction war.
Earning Merits
| For | You earn |
|---|---|
| Killing a rival faction NPC ship | 0.6 × the ship's build rating |
| Killing a rival faction player ship | 2 × the ship's build rating |
| The final blow | 20% of the points |
| Assisted damage and repairs | 80% of the points, shared. Repairs count half. |
| Depositing resources at the faction depot | 1 × the resource value |
| Towing and processing a relic fragment | 12,000 Merits, shared by contribution |
Losing Merits
| For | You lose |
|---|---|
| Damaging a friendly ship | 2 × the HP value |
| Killing a friendly ship | 2 × the build rating of the ship and its cargo |
| Losing a faction starter ship | 25% of the ship's build rating |
Belonging to the same faction does not stop friendly fire. It only makes it expensive.
Ranks
Your Merit total sets your title, and your title sets how many of your faction's NPC ships you can command at once.
| Title | Merits | NPCs you can command |
|---|---|---|
| Slug | 0 | 0 |
| Recruit | 10,000 | 1 |
| Legionary | 25,000 | 1 |
| Sergeant | 50,000 | 2 |
| Knight | 100,000 | 2 |
| Commander | 200,000 | 3 |
| Praetor | 400,000 | 4 |
| Exarch | 800,000 | 5 |
| Imperator | 2,000,000 | No limit |
Commanding NPCs
- The nearest willing NPCs follow your new order, replacing your last one. If none accept, your current order stays.
- You can always redirect your own NPCs. You must outrank another player to take command of theirs.
- If your rank drops, NPCs above your new limit are released.
- Orders end when they expire, or when you leave, change faction or lose your ship.
Faction-issued ships
Your faction-issued starter ship wears your faction's livery. Losing one costs Merits and sends you home to your faction's hub.