The Star Citizen IAE 2025 Grand Finale Day 1 features War Bond deals on ships like the Drake Ironclad and RSI Constellation Andromeda, with significant discounts and new CCU upgrade options, though higher entry prices and gap fills present challenges. Despite some limitations, the event offers valuable opportunities for discounts, LTI tokens, and strategic ship upgrades, making it a worthwhile occasion compared to previous years.
The grand finale of Star Citizen’s Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) 2025 has begun, spanning three days and ending on December 3rd. This event brings back every patch bundle released throughout the year and introduces new War Bond daily deals. Notably, the first day’s featured War Bonds include the Drake Ironclad and the RSI Constellation Andromeda, with three separate days of new Warbond CCUs planned. The Ironclad is offered at a significant $40 discount off its concept ship price, making it a great deal for those interested in higher-priced ships, while the Constellation Andromeda is available with a modest $20 discount, though its price point complicates its value in CCU chains.
When comparing the Ironclad’s CCU options, the Reclaimer and the C2 stand out. The Reclaimer, a large and rare ship, has had fewer War Bond opportunities recently, making it a less frequent but impressive upgrade. The C2, on the other hand, appears more regularly in War Bond deals, sometimes up to three or four times a year, making it a more accessible and reliable choice for players building their ship collections. Given this frequency and versatility, the C2 is recommended over the Reclaimer for those starting fresh or looking for a practical upgrade path.
The Constellation Andromeda’s placement at a $240 price point creates challenges for players trying to maximize discounts through CCU chains. While its $20 discount is decent, it limits the ships that can be reached efficiently from it, often requiring additional gap fills that reduce overall savings. The best strategy with the Andromeda is to use it as a stepping stone to the Hurricane, which offers a better discount path. However, many other potential upgrades from the Andromeda involve less favorable price drops or concept ships, making them less appealing options.
A significant concern raised is the increasing price barrier for starting CCU chains, with the minimum effective entry point now around $100 to $115. This shift means that players will face substantial gap fills—sometimes $60 to $70—when upgrading from lower-priced ships like the Dragonfly or Knox to mid-tier ships such as the Clipper or Shiv. Additionally, new referral rewards are more restrictive, lacking features like paint application and CCU compatibility, which further complicates the upgrade process and adds to the cost.
Despite these challenges, the IAE 2025 event offers valuable opportunities, including discounts on ships facing upcoming price increases and the chance to acquire LTI tokens on various ground vehicles and ships, which can be melted to facilitate CCU chains. While the event presents a mixed bag of deals, with some frustrating limitations, it is generally viewed as an improvement over last year’s IAE. Players are encouraged to carefully plan their CCU paths, anticipate higher upfront costs, and take advantage of the remaining days of the event for additional deals and insights.