Daniel Raymond explains that the Railin cargo ship will soon become flyable with its cargo capacity doubling to 640 SCU, leading to a significant price increase, making it a strategic purchase for fleet builders before the upcoming Intergalactic Aerospace Expo sale ends. He also highlights redesigns revealed at the IAE and advises on upgrade strategies to maximize value amid anticipated price hikes for several cargo ships.
In this video, Daniel Raymond from Ray’s Guide discusses insights gleaned from the recent Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) regarding upcoming changes to certain cargo ships in the game, focusing particularly on the Railin. He explains that Cloud Imperium (CI) has announced that four cargo ships—the Hull A, Raft, Hull B, and Railin—will be sold at their current prices for the last time during this sale. Price increases for existing ships usually reflect improvements or market adjustments, but for ships not yet flyable, a price hike typically signals that they are close to being playable or have received significant upgrades.
Raymond highlights that the Hull B and Railin are expected to become flyable soon, with the Hull B likely available by next year’s IAE, and the Railin possibly as early as Alien Week, shortly after Invictus Launch Week. Notably, the Railin’s cargo capacity is set to double to 640 SCU, putting it on par with the Hercules C2. This substantial upgrade, combined with its anticipated flyable status, suggests a significant price increase—potentially doubling from $225 to over $400. This makes purchasing or upgrading to the Railin now a strategic move for fleet builders aiming to capitalize on its future value.
A key visual update at the show was the Railin’s holo viewer display, which revealed that the ship’s external cargo pods have been removed, indicating a redesign of its cargo solution. However, the remaining cargo volume suggests that the ship will retain an external cargo system capable of accommodating standard cargo containers. Additionally, the removal of the four thruster pods from the arms hints at a possible redesign of the ship’s thruster configuration, either replacing the pods with integrated thrusters or postponing their final design for later development stages.
For players looking to optimize their purchases, Raymond advises strategies to leverage the upcoming price changes. Since the Railin’s current loaner is the Hercules C2 Starlifter ($400 value), buying the Railin now offers a good short-term deal. For those planning to upgrade to more expensive ships later, he suggests buying a ship slightly cheaper than the Railin and then upgrading to it, as future price increases will be calculated based on the current value of the ship being upgraded rather than the original purchase price. This approach can maximize value when building a fleet over time.
Finally, Raymond briefly mentions expected price increases for the other cargo ships: a modest rise for the Hull A, a more significant increase for the Raft, and a notable jump for the Hull B to align with its flyable status and capacity improvements. He also teases upcoming ship giveaways, including a Starlancer Max, encouraging viewers to participate by commenting with the secret word related to their price predictions for the Railin. The video concludes with Raymond inviting viewers to stay engaged and prepare for these changes.