Sublight Ships Guide: Hull Tradeoffs, Hardpoints, and Handling
Compare Sublight hull health, handling, hardpoints, integrated systems, and the three starting equipment slots before choosing the next run’s loadout.
Do not rank Sublight ships on health alone. Compare the hull as a package: hardpoints, firing arcs, move speed, turn speed, integrated systems, and the category restrictions on special mounts. At ship select, compare the available hull’s handling, hardpoint restrictions and starting equipment together.
Read the selected hull
The Steam store describes ships with distinct loadouts, integrated weapon systems and abilities. Start with the selected hull’s displayed stats and slot restrictions, then compare an alternative that solves the problem ending your runs.
The hull tradeoff seen in gameplay
A hull is not “better” because one number is higher. Compare what it gains in movement and turn speed with what it gives up in health and hardpoints. It changes how safely you can keep weapons on target.
Class-locked hardpoints
Patch 0.18 changed ship-unique weapons into class-locked hardpoints. Those slots can provide a buff but usually lock the mount to a weapon category. This makes ship choice part of build planning before the first cache opens.
Choose by the weakness you can manage
Fast hulls ask you to dodge and manage fewer hardpoints. Heavier hulls can absorb mistakes but may need turn-speed investment to maintain good arcs. Choose the weakness you are comfortable solving with upgrades.
Three equipment slots at ship select
In 0.20.02, the ship-select loadout screen lets you choose three equipment slots at the start of a run. Assess those choices together with the hull’s handling and hardpoints. A movement option can solve a positioning problem that another weapon bonus cannot.
| Hull problem | Loadout decision |
|---|---|
| Hard to keep arcs connected | Prioritize handling and movement support, then compare damage picks. |
| Forced out of a safe lane | Keep movement equipment in mind, especially for pirate-event chains. |
| Damage stalls despite good aim | Check the weapon category and research variant before adding more defense. |
The loadout-screen change is available now; the announced plan to find equipment upgrades during a run belongs to future updates.
Patch details: official 0.20.02 notes (October 31, 2026, UTC).