If you’re looking to get your hands on a Tier 4 ship in Everspace 2, buckle up—this is one of the few times in the game where grinding becomes essential. These high-end ships come with enhanced base stats, four passive slots, and a serious credit investment, making them a worthy goal for late-game pilots. This guide will walk you through how to unlock Tier 4 ships, what resources you need, and the best farming spots to make the grind as efficient as possible.

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How to Unlock Tier 4 Ships

To gain access to Tier 4 ships, you need to fully upgrade Tareen’s Ship Dealers perk. This requires a significant amount of rare materials and credits. Once completed, Tier 4 ships will become available at Kato’s Palace.

Key Costs to Unlock Tier 4 Ships:

• Final Perk Stage: 100,000 credits
• Trading in a Tier 3+ Ship: ~480,000 credits
• Buying a Tier 4 Ship Without Trade-In: ~960,000 credits

While expensive, the reward is a massive upgrade in ship capabilities, plus the ability to switch between two sets of passives for added flexibility. Currently, all Tier 4 ships have only one wing type, but developers have confirmed that more designs are coming in future updates.

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Preparation: How to Make the Grind Easier

1. Unlock Hive’s Mining Tracker Perk

One of the best ways to speed up resource gathering is by unlocking the mining tracker perk from Hive. This allows you to highlight locations rich in materials, making farming much more efficient.

2. Mine Every Resource Node While Leveling

As you progress through the game, always take time to mine resource nodes.

• Pure Copper is especially valuable for catalysts and ship dealer perks.
• Glazed Baromite and other rare resources appear in the Kite Nebula late in the mid-game.
• Stockpiling materials early reduces grind time later.

3. Craft a Mining-Optimized Flak Cannon

• Craft a common-quality Flak Cannon
• Add a Mining Catalyst to increase yield
• This allows for one-shot mining, speeding up resource gathering significantly.

Since crafting is essential for acquiring Superior-quality components, farming raw materials early ensures you’ll have enough when it’s time to craft high-tier upgrades.

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Materials Needed for the Final Perk Stages

Aside from credits, you’ll need rare and hard-to-find materials to complete the final stages of the Ship Dealer perk:

• Pure Klygon
• Pure Baromite
• Flawless Phasium Crystals
• Dark Energy
• Pure Copper
• Glazed Baromite

These materials are used to craft high-quality components necessary for unlocking Tier 4 ships. While some can be looted, crafting them is the most reliable method.

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Best Farming Spots for Tier 4 Materials

1. Farming Dark Energy (Cannot be Mined)

Dark Energy is required for multiple high-tier components but cannot be mined. Instead, you must obtain it through:

• Ancient Containers – Found in puzzles and area challenges involving ancient runes and lenses.
• Enemy Drops in the Kite System – Many enemies in Kite drop Dark Energy, especially Elite enemies and larger ships.
• Best Farm Location: Immaculate Redemption – High enemy density and frequent Dark Energy drops.

2. Mining-Based Resources (Respawn Over Time)

Mining nodes respawn between visits, allowing you to rotate between different farming locations.

Pure Klygon

• Best Location: Westerner Mining Colony (Zarkov System)
• Alternative: The Rain Gate (Kite Nebula)

Pure Copper

• Best Location: Sito Transit Gate (Sito System)
• Alternative: Hinterland region (Sito System)
• Expect ~5 nodes per visit

Glazed Baromite & Pure Baromite

• Best Location: Athor I (Kite System)
• Alternative: Immaculate Redemption (Kite System)

Flawless Phasium Crystals

• Best Location: Athorian Fault (Kite System)
• Important: The crystals only spawn inside a hollow asteroid
• Look for multiple cave entrances
• Destroy root-blocked passages using acid pods found nearby

By rotating between Athorian Fault, Athor I, and Immaculate Redemption, you can farm Dark Energy, Baromite, Glacid, and Phasium Crystals at the same time.

3. How to Optimize Mining Efficiency

• Use the Mining-Optimized Flak Cannon to clear nodes quickly.
• Rotate between different areas to allow nodes to respawn.
• Combine combat farming (Dark Energy) with mining runs to maximize efficiency.

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Final Steps: Buying Your Tier 4 Ship

Once you’ve gathered the required materials and credits, visit Kato’s Palace to purchase your Tier 4 ship.

• One ship per class is available at a time.
• Stock refreshes every 10 minutes.
• Swapping passives allows for more customization.

Recommended Next Steps After Unlocking Tier 4 Ships

• Declutter your hangar—sell older ships to fund upgrades.
• Accumulate credits for additional Tier 4 ships.
• Upgrade and refine your fleet for different roles.

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Conclusion: Is the Grind Worth It?

Unlocking Tier 4 ships in Everspace 2 requires dedication and planning, but the reward is a massively enhanced ship with four passives and the ability to fine-tune your loadout. By preparing ahead of time, mining efficiently, and farming key locations, you can reduce grind time and get your ship faster.

Now that you know the best farming strategies, it’s time to hit the mining fields and battle zones. Fly safe, pilot!