With the latest Railjack update, players can now hire NPC crew members to assist in Railjack missions and even make brief appearances in standard missions. In many scenarios, these crew members are more reliable than public match players. This guide covers everything you need to know: where to get crew, how to evaluate their stats, setting them up, and how they function in missions.

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Where to Get Crew Members

There are two main types of NPC crew:

• Syndicate Crewmates: Hired from Ticker in Fortuna. Each crewmate represents one of the six syndicates, impacting appearance and cost.
• Lich Crewmates: Available by converting (not vanquishing) a Kuva Lich. These have higher HP and bring their Kuva weapon but are currently limited to a defensive role only.

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Understanding Crew Stats

Each crewmate has five skill stats:

1. Piloting: +5% ship speed per level (lowest priority).
2. Gunnery: -10% turret heat gain and +15% turret accuracy per level (highest priority).
3. Repair: +10% repair efficiency and +2 self-heal per level.
4. Combat: +40% damage vs borders per level.
5. Endurance: +300 health and +100 shield per level.

Prioritize Gunnery and Repair. Piloting is the least useful due to poor AI navigation and minimal bonus.

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Assigning and Managing Crew

Once hired, assign your crew through the Crew Console in the Railjack dock:

• Roles: Default positions include Gunner, Repair, and Defender. Do not assign anyone to Piloting.
• Weapon Loadouts: Assign any modded primary or secondary (except bows). They share your mod loadout.
• On-Call Crew: Once unlocked, lets you summon a crewmate in any non-Railjack mission for 3 minutes with a 10-minute cooldown.

Note: No two NPCs can use the same weapon, but they can use the same weapon you are using without penalty.

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In-Mission Behavior

• Gunners will take up turrets and fire at enemies.
• Repair crew will handle hazards and hull breaches.
• Defenders patrol for boarders.
• Crew do not use battle mods, tactical mods, ordnance, artillery, or the forge.

Tactical Reassignment

You can reassign crew roles mid-mission via the Tactical Menu (“L” by default on PC). Changes last until the mission ends or they’re reassigned again.

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Multiplayer Considerations

• NPCs are replaced by players as they join the squad, starting from slot 3 to 1.
• If a player disconnects, NPCs fill their place starting from slot 1.
• Place essential crew (like Repair) in slot 1 to ensure priority.

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Appearance and Customization

Customize your crewmates like Warframes: color schemes, syandanas, armor, etc.

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Final Notes

• Crewmates are highly effective and a great addition to solo Railjack missions.
• Lich crew need balancing and have current role limitations.
• DE may update mechanics further as this is a new feature.

Keep an eye on updates, and consider bookmarking or subscribing for future changes and optimizations.