The United Colonies Vanguard is always looking for new captains to enlist in the military, regardless of your past affiliations. If you have a desire to serve and a capable ship, proceed to the MAST district to enlist.
Quest Type: Faction
Location
System:Alpha Centauri
Planet:Jemison
City: New Atlantis
Rewards
5800 Credits (Varies based on simulator performance)
250 XP
Membership in the United Colonies Vanguard
Location
From the New Atlantis launchpad, walk straight and turn left up the ramp to enter the city. Cross the main plaza to the NAT car on the far side and head to the MAST District. Walk up the ramp in front of you and enter the Vanguard building behind the ramp exit.
Walkthrough
Inside the Vanguard building, talk to Commander John Tuala at the desk on the left and let him know you are interested in enlisting. Feel free to ask any questions you have about the Vanguard while you are here.
Register for The Vanguard
Enter the elevator behind the front desk and choose the Vanguard Orientation Hall option at the bottom. Approach one of the marked computers and sign the enlistment agreement. The lightly colored button is the selected one, so make sure the top button is a light gray before choosing.
Proceed to The Vanguard Exam
With the bureaucracy portion out of the way, turn around from the computer and enter the orientation hall. There are several historical displays here that will provide pretty much all of the lore you need to know for Starfield, so I highly recommend stopping at each and hearing what they have to say. Commander Tuala will also note that you stopped at them after your examination.
Proceed through the entire hallway and enter the elevator marked Mast Vanguard Pilot Simulator. Walk straight through the hallway to get to the piloting simulator.
Enter the Piloting Simulator
Inside the simulation room, optionally walkinto the break room on the right side, where you can find a skill magazine that will boost your missile damage. Afterwards, enter the piloting simulator on the left side of the simulation area. During the piloting test, you will be in command of a standard United Colonies ship, not your own. The goal of the test is to defeat three tiers of opponents, steadily increasing in difficulty. You can optionally progress through all six tiers for a higher signing bonus, but it isn’t necessary.
Near the simulator door, you can find a debug tools panel to give you a boost for a tier. This can be very helpful, especially on the higher tiers.
Be sure to read up on Space Combat if it isn’t a mechanic you’ve interacted with much. The Targeting Control System skill can be invaluable in space combat, so it’s worth looking into if you struggle with the simulation. Remember to use lasers to beat down shields before pivoting to a ballistic weapon and missile barrage.
At the start of the simulation, make sure to assign your excess system power as the game leaves you with plenty of extra power by default. In Tier 1 you will have to defeat one ship, while in Tier 2 and 3 there will be two ships. You will have time to heal and let your shields regenerate between waves. Be sure to only focus down one ship at a time before moving on to the next one. After passing Tier 3, feel free to exit the pilot seat or stick around to fight through the additional waves.
Speak to Commander Tuala
After the simulator, head to the elevator near the piloting bays. Choose the Lobby option and after loading in, speak to Commander Tuala on the right. He will congratulate you on passing, with his response varying based on your performance, use of the debug tools, and interaction with the history displays in the orientation hall. After the initial conversation, follow Tuala outside where you will be sworn in as a member of the Vanguard. Congratulations!
As a newly sworn in member of the UC Vanguard, your next mission is the Faction Quest Grunt Work. Between the different factions in Starfield, which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!
Share this article:
Lucky Boop
Strategy game enthusiast, especially Paradox titles and the Civilization series. Whenever he's not writing he spends his time watching sports, enjoying coffee, or studying history.
