Star Citizen Retribution: What It Is and Can You Buy It
If you searched for Star Citizen Retribution hoping to buy it, here is the short answer: you cannot. The Retribution is a capital ship, a dreadnought built for the Vanduul War, and the Star Citizen wiki lists it as not available for sale.
It is a story ship, tied to the single player campaign Squadron 42. This guide explains what the ship is, how big it is, what the wiki says about its history, and why players keep searching for it.
What the Star Citizen Retribution is
The Retribution is a Retribution-class dreadnought. The wiki describes it as the largest capital ship built by the UEE and several manufacturers for the Vanduul War. The only known example is the UEES Retribution, which was built at the UEE Naval Skydocks on MacArthur. It is armed with multiple Behring 130 mm Ship Buster rail guns.
A capital ship is a vessel far larger than anything a single pilot can fly. It carries a crew in the hundreds and acts as the anchor of a fleet. The Retribution is built to be that anchor, a ship that other ships gather around during a battle.
How big is the Retribution?
The wiki lists the ship at 2,700 m long, 700 m wide and 400 m high. For scale, 2,700 m is more than two and a half kilometers, which means about twenty-seven football pitches placed end to end. Even the biggest ships that players can own are tiny next to it. That size is the main reason the ship appears in so many lore and scale comparison videos.
Retribution specs at a glance
- Class: Retribution-class dreadnought
- Length: 2,700 m
- Width: 700 m
- Height: 400 m
- Main armament: multiple Behring 130 mm Ship Buster rail guns
- Built at: UEE Naval Skydocks, MacArthur
- Status: listed as active for Squadron 42, and not available for sale
The wiki’s subtitle calls it a super dreadnought, while the body text calls it a dreadnought. That is a small inconsistency on the wiki and does not change the facts above.
The story of the Retribution
The wiki gives a short timeline for the ship. It was first laid down as Project Ouadeen, before the Vanduul War, and under secrecy. Construction was delayed by financial problems. By 2943 the superstructure was nearly complete. In 2946 the ship was assigned to the 65th Battle Group and took part in the Battle of Oberon.
The wiki also lists a report about a Kingship killer dated October 2946, though the month is shown in brackets, which suggests the date is not certain. If you want the full lore, video channels such as TheAstroHistorian and First-Pass have walkthroughs of the ship, and the Retribution is often named in lists of the biggest ships in the UEE.
Can you buy or fly the Retribution?
No. The page lists it as not available for sale and gives no pledge price and no in-game way to get it. The wiki says it is active for Squadron 42, which is the single player story campaign, not the shared Persistent Universe. If you see a site selling the ship, treat it as a scam. The wiki’s advice on the grey market is that there is no need to spend real money on in-game items.
Squadron 42 and the Persistent Universe
Star Citizen has two parts. The Persistent Universe is the online world where players fly, trade, mine and fight. Squadron 42 is a separate story campaign set in the same setting. Ships like the Retribution belong to the story and appear in the campaign, which is why you will not find them in the shops that sell ships for aUEC.
What to buy instead
If you want a big ship you can actually use, look at the guides below. The Sabre is a small stealth fighter that you can buy with in-game money, and the Executive Hangar in Pyro can reward you with a ship for free. Both are far smaller than the Retribution, but they are real options in the game today.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Retribution a ship I can own? No. The wiki lists it as not available for sale.
How long is it? 2,700 m, with a width of 700 m and a height of 400 m.
Where was it built? At the UEE Naval Skydocks on MacArthur.
What is it armed with? Multiple Behring 130 mm Ship Buster rail guns.
Related Star Citizen guides
- Star Citizen Sabre guide
- Star Citizen Teach’s Ship Shop guide
- Star Citizen Executive Hangar guide
- Star Citizen TS-2 quantum drive guide
- Star Citizen Ranta Dung guide
- Star Citizen Wikelo ships guide
- Star Citizen Sabre Firebird guide
Source: the Star Citizen wiki Retribution page. For game background see Wikipedia and the official RSI site.
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Axee Davies is the founder of AxeeTech, publishing gaming guides, codes, and Windows how-tos since March 2013. A tech enthusiast for 13+ years — starting with smartphones and Android rooting — he now runs a site that puts out a new guide every day for Roblox players, traders, and Windows users. More about AxeeTech