Elite: Dangerous/Engineers

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(Redirected from Elite 4/Engineers)

Engineers can be used to improve various modules of your ships.

Each engineer must first be discovered through either public knowledge or via another engineer, and then unlocked by completing their requests.

Engineering Mechanics

Unlocking an Engineer

Each engineer has 3 prerequisites before they can be used:

  • They must be discovered, either through public knowledge (first 5) or through another engineer (other 15)
  • They must be contacted, by satisfying a first demand
  • They must be unlocked, by satisfying a second demand

Once unlocked they remain usable forever, even if the demands are no longer satisfied, unless something else prevents accessing their planetary base (such as a bounty).

Using Blueprints

Engineers can work on different modules of a ship, with per-module capabilities ranging from grade 1 to grade 5. Each grade offers better upsides and worse downsides compared to the previous grade, and you can only go as high as your current unlock level with the engineer and the maximum grade of the engineer for that blueprint. To advance an engineers unlock level, you can use their blueprints, or in some cases perform other actions such as selling exploration data.

Each module that an engineer can work on will have various blueprints for it, with differing upsides and downsides, as well as experimental effects that can be added if the module supports it. Each blueprint grade has a different cost, with higher grades requiring more and rarer materials, but only ever one of a given material. Every time a blueprint of a given grade is used, the positive stats increase from the blueprints minimum towards its maximum, and the negative stats are set to the values shown on the blueprint.

In order to use a blueprint grade (other than grade 1), you must first get the stats of the previous grade to 70% of their maximum value, as well as have the appropriate engineer unlock level. This can be bypassed by engineering the module in version 2.4 once, in order to get the module to grade 5, and then converting to the new engineering system to start out at grade 5 directly.

Experimental effects are simple additions to a module that have a one-time cost, offer specific stat changes, can be applied regardless of the chosen blueprint, and carry over when advancing grades. These effects can work with the chosen blueprint to improve the positives, reduce the negatives, or do something else entirely.

List of Engineers

Below is a table showing all 20 engineers, how they can be discovered and unlocked, and what blueprints they have.

Blueprints shown in bold are the highest tier of that blueprint available. For Life Support this is G4, for all others this is G5.

Blueprints shown in bold and italics can only be obtained from one engineer, making them mandatory if you want to use that blueprint.

Engineer Name Method of Discovery Location First Requirement Second Requirement Blueprints
Elvira Martuuk Public Knowledge Khun
Long Sight Base
Travel 300LY from
starting location.
Donate 3 Soontill Relics. G1 Shield Cell Bank
G3 Shield Generator
G2 Thrusters
G5 Frame Shift Drive
The Dweller Public Knowledge Wyrd
Black Hide
Use 5 Black Markets. Donate 500,000 CR. G3 Beam Laser
G3 Burst Laser
G4 Pulse Laser
G5 Power Distributor
Liz Ryder Public Knowledge Eurybia
Demolition Unlimited
Become Friendly with
Eurybia Blue Mafia.
Donate 200 Landmines. G3 Mine Launcher
G5 Missile Rack
G5 Torpedo Pylon
G1 Hull Reinforcement Package
G1 Armour
Felicity Farseer Public Knowledge Deciat
Farseer Inc.
Achieve an exploration
rank of Scout.
Donate 1 Meta Alloy. G1 Shield Booster
G1 FSD Interdictor
G3 Detailed Surface Scanner
G1 Power Plant
G3 Thrusters
G5 Frame Shift Drive
G3 Sensors
Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn Public Knowledge Wolf 397
Trophy Camp
Earn 15 bounty vouchers. Donate 100,000 CR
in bounty vouchers.
G2 Cannon
G3 Fragment Cannon
G5 Multi-Cannon
G5 Rail Gun
Zacariah Nemo Elvira Martuuk Yoru
Nemo Cyber Party Base
Get an invitation from
the Party of Yoru.
Donate 25 Xihe Companions. G5 Fragment Cannon
G3 Multi-Cannon
G2 Plasma Accelerator
Lei Cheung The Dweller Laksak
Trader's Rest
Use 50 commodity markets. Donate 200 Gold. G3 Shield Booster
G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Shield Generator
G5 Sensors
Hera Tani Liz Ryder Kuwemaki
The Jet's Hole
Achieve an Empire
rank of Outsider.
Donate 50 Kamitra Cigars. G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Power Plant
G3 Power Distributor
G3 Sensors
Juri Ishmaak Felicity Farseer Giryak
Pater's Memorial
Earn 50 combat bonds. Donate 100,000 or 1,000,000
in combat bonds.
(Unknown reason for discrepancy.)
G5 Mine Launcher
G3 Missile Rack
G3 Torpedo Pylon
G3 Manifest Scanner
G3 Frame Shift Wake Scanner
G3 Kill Warrant Scanner
G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Sensors
Selene Jean Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn Kuk
Prospector's Rest
Mine 500t of ore. Donate 10 Painite. G5 Hull Reinforcement Package
G5 Armour
Marco Qwent Elvira Martuuk Sirius (needs permit)
Qwent Research Base
Get an invitation from
Sirius Corporation.
Donate 25 Modular Terminals. G4 Power Plant
G3 Power Distributor
Ram Tah Lei Cheung Meene
Phoenix Base
Achieve an exploration
rank of Surveyor.
Donate 50 Classified Scan Databanks. G5 Chaff Launcher
G5 Electronic Countermeasure
G5 Heat Sink Launcher
G5 Point Defence
G4 Collector Limpet Controller
G4 Fuel Transfer Limpet Controller
G3 Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller
G4 Prospector Limpet Controller
Broo Tarquin Hera Tani Muang
Broo's Legacy
Achieve a combat
rank of Competent.
Donate 50 Fujin Tea. G5 Beam Laser
G5 Burst Laser
G5 Pulse Laser
Colonel Bris Dekker Juri Ishmaak Sol (needs permit)
???
Become Friendly with
the Federation.
Donate 1,000,000 or 10,000,000
in combat bonds.
(Unknown reason for discrepancy.)
G4 FSD Interdictor
G3 Frame Shift Drive
Didi Vatermann Selene Jean Leesti
Vatermann LLC
Achieve a trading
rank of Merchant.
Donate 50 Lavian Brandy. G5 Shield Booster
G3 Shield Generator
Professor Palin Marco Qwent Maia
Palin Research Centre
Travel 5,000LY from
starting location.
Donate 25 Unknown Fragments. G5 Thrusters
G3 Frame Shift Drive
Lori Jameson Marco Qwent Shinrarta Dezhra (needs permit)
Jameson Base
Achieve a combat
rank of Dangerous.
Donate 25 Kongga Ale. G3 Manifest Scanner
G3 Frame Shift Wake Scanner
G3 Kill Warrant Scanner
G4 Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
G4 Fuel Scoop
G4 Refinery
G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G3 Shield Cell Bank
G4 Life Support
G5 Sensors
Tiana Fortune Hera Tani Achenar (needs permit)
Fortune's Loss
Become Friendly with
the Empire.
Donate 50 Decoded Emission Data. G5 Manifest Scanner
G5 Frame Shift Wake Scanner
G5 Kill Warrant Scanner
G5 Collector Limpet Controller
G3 FSD Interdictor
G5 Fuel Transfer Limpet Controller
G5 Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller
G5 Prospector Limpet Controller
G3 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Sensors
The Sarge Juri Ishmaak Beta-3 Tucani
The Beach
Achieve a Federal Navy
rank of Midshipman.
Donate 50 Aberrant Shield Pattern Analysis. G5 Cannon
G3 Rail Gun
G5 Collector Limpet Controller
G5 Fuel Transfer Limpet Controller
G5 Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller
G5 Prospector Limpet Controller
Bill Turner Selene Jean Alioth (needs permit)
???
Become Friendly with
the Alliance.
Donate 50 Bromellite. G5 Plasma Accelerator
G3 Manifest Scanner
G3 Frame Shift Wake Scanner
G3 Kill Warrant Scanner
G3 Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
G3 Fuel Scoop
G3 Refinery
G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G3 Life Support
G5 Sensors

Below is a table showing only the best blueprints (bolded above) for each engineer, and omitting requirements.

As above, blueprints that can only be obtained from one engineer are shown in bold.

Engineer Name Blueprints
Elvira Martuuk G5 Frame Shift Drive
The Dweller G5 Power Distributor
Liz Ryder G5 Missile Rack
G5 Torpedo Pylon
Felicity Farseer G5 Frame Shift Drive
Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn G5 Multi-Cannon
G5 Rail Gun
Zacariah Nemo G5 Fragment Cannon
Lei Cheung G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Shield Generator
G5 Sensors
Hera Tani G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Power Plant
Juri Ishmaak G5 Mine Launcher
G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Sensors
Selene Jean G5 Hull Reinforcement Package
G5 Armour
Marco Qwent
Ram Tah G5 Chaff Launcher
G5 Electronic Countermeasure
G5 Heat Sink Launcher
G5 Point Defence
Broo Tarquin G5 Beam Laser
G5 Burst Laser
G5 Pulse Laser
Colonel Bris Dekker
Didi Vatermann G5 Shield Booster
Professor Palin G5 Thrusters
Lori Jameson G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G4 Life Support
G5 Sensors
Tiana Fortune G5 Manifest Scanner
G5 Frame Shift Wake Scanner
G5 Kill Warrant Scanner
G5 Collector Limpet Controller
G5 Fuel Transfer Limpet Controller
G5 Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller
G5 Prospector Limpet Controller
G5 Sensors
The Sarge G5 Cannon
G5 Collector Limpet Controller
G5 Fuel Transfer Limpet Controller
G5 Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller
G5 Prospector Limpet Controller
Bill Turner G5 Plasma Accelerator
G5 Detailed Surface Scanner
G5 Sensors

Whilst both Elvira Martuuk and Felicity Farseer lack a mandatory blueprint, they are the only two engineers offering the same G5 blueprint. This makes either one of them mandatory.

Marco Qwent is one of two unimportant engineers, only needed as a stepping stone to get other engineers.

Colonel Bris Dekker is the only engineer that doesn't need to be unlocked, as they offer no mandatory blueprints and no engineer is locked behind them.