1. Introduction: Invictus Is Gone — DefenseCon Has Arrived
Star Citizen's 2956 event calendar has delivered the biggest shake-up in years. Invictus Launch Week, the annual military ship showcase that defined the late-May sales window for half a decade, has been withdrawn to the Sol system. In its place, Drake Interplanetary's DefenseCon has expanded from a side-event into a two-week convention that now hosts every major manufacturer. This is not a rebrand. It is a power shift.
From May 14 to May 27, the Bevic Convention Center on ArcCorp will host the largest non-IAE ship sale of the year. Drake CEO Anden Arden has positioned DefenseCon as the "real party for the people," and the lineup justifies the rhetoric. Four brand-new vehicle launches, the long-awaited Ironclad and Ironclad Assault reveals, and the first public appearance of the Anvil Odin battlecruiser concept make this the most consequential May event in Star Citizen history.
This guide covers every ship on sale, every hall layout, every rental opportunity, and every investment consideration for the 13-day convention. Whether you are a new backer looking for your first upgraded ship, a trader evaluating the Ironclad against the Caterpillar and Railen, or an investor positioning for concept-to-flyable appreciation, this is your complete DefenseCon 2956 playbook.
2. Event Schedule: The 13-Day Marathon
DefenseCon 2956 runs continuously from May 14 to May 27, 2026, at the Bevic Convention Center in Area18, ArcCorp. Unlike previous events where manufacturer booths rotated daily, DefenseCon features all halls simultaneously for the full duration, with new ship reveals staggered across specific days.
2.1 Key Dates
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| May 14 (Day 1) | DefenseCon opens + Drake Pitbull reveal | New Drake ground vehicle enters concept sale |
| May 14-15 (Days 1-2) | Drake Interplanetary showcase | Ironclad, Ironclad Assault, full Drake lineup |
| May 16-17 (Days 3-4) | Kruger, Origin, RSI showcase | 125a, M50, F8C Lightning, Perseus |
| May 18 (Day 5) | MISC Starlite reveal | New MISC entry concept sale opens |
| May 20 (Day 7) | Aegis Tiburon reveal | New Aegis ship concept sale |
| May 24 (Day 11) | Anvil Odin reveal | Battlecruiser concept — the headline act |
| May 14-27 | 48-hour free rentals on all display ships | Try before you buy, rotating daily |
2.2 Rental System
Traveler Rentals terminals line the hallway outside the main convention hall. Every display ship across all five halls can be rented for 48 hours of in-game use, allowing backers to test-fly ships before committing to a pledge. Rental inventory rotates daily at 16:00 UTC, cycling through the full manufacturer roster. This is the best opportunity of the year to fly ships you are considering buying.
3. Convention Hall Layout: Five Themed Showrooms
3.1 Main Hall — Drake Interplanetary
| Ship | Type | Status | RSI Store Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneer | Light Fighter | Flyable | $110 |
| Caterpillar | Heavy Freighter | Flyable | $330 |
| Clipper | Medium Freighter | Flyable | $150 |
| Cutlass Black | Medium Fighter/Freighter | Flyable | $110 |
| Cutter | Starter | Flyable | $45 |
| Dragonfly Black | Ground Vehicle | Flyable | $40 |
| Ironclad | Armored Heavy Freighter | Concept | $450 (est.) |
| Ironclad Assault | Assault Freighter | Concept | $535 (est.) |
| Mule | Ground Vehicle | Flyable | $45 |
| Pitbull | Ground Vehicle | NEW Concept | TBA |
3.2 Hall 1 — Pilot's Choice
| Ship | Manufacturer | Status | RSI Store Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125a | Origin Jumpworks | Flyable | $65 |
| L-21 Wolf | Kruger Intergalactic / Grey's Market | Flyable | $80 |
| L-22 Alpha Wolf | Kruger Intergalactic / Grey's Market | Flyable | $95 |
| M50 | Origin Jumpworks | Flyable | $100 |
| Shiv | Kruger / Grey's Market | Flyable | $110 |
3.3 Hall 2 — Frontline Favorites
| Ship | Manufacturer | Status | RSI Store Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| F7C-M Super Hornet Mk II | Anvil Aerospace | Flyable | $185 |
| F8C Lightning | Anvil Aerospace | Flyable | $300 (event-limited) |
| Fury MX | Mirai | Flyable | $55 |
| Guardian MX | Mirai | Concept | $250 |
| Meteor | Mirai | Flyable | $165 |
| Perseus | RSI | Concept | $675 |
3.4 Hall 3 — New Standards
| Ship | Manufacturer | Status | RSI Store Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ares Inferno | Crusader Industries | Flyable | $250 |
| Aurora Mk II | RSI | Flyable | $45 |
| Eclipse | Aegis Dynamics | Flyable | $300 |
| Tiburon | Aegis Dynamics | NEW Concept | TBA |
3.5 Hall 4 — Steady Support
| Ship/Vehicle | Manufacturer | Status | RSI Store Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asgard | Anvil Aerospace | Concept | TBA |
| C8R Pisces | Anvil Aerospace | Flyable | $65 |
| Cyclone MT | Tumbril | Flyable | $75 |
| MDC | Greycat Industrial | Flyable | TBA |
| MTC | Greycat Industrial | Flyable | TBA |
| Nova | Tumbril | Flyable | $120 |
| Pulse | Mirai | Flyable | $30 |
| Starlite | MISC | NEW Concept | TBA |
| Storm AA | Tumbril | Flyable | $100 |
| STV | Greycat Industrial | Flyable | $40 |
4. New Ship Launches: The Four Reveals
4.1 Drake Pitbull (Day 1)
Drake opens DefenseCon with a ground vehicle launch that expands their terrestrial lineup beyond the Mule and Dragonfly. Details are limited ahead of the reveal, but Drake's ground vehicle design language emphasizes rugged simplicity and multi-role adaptability. The Pitbull is expected to fill a combat ground support role that Drake currently does not address. Concept pricing is estimated in the $50-$80 range, consistent with Drake's aggressive pricing philosophy.
4.2 MISC Starlite (Day 5)
MISC returns to the light ship category with the Starlite, a new entry that joins the manufacturer's diverse portfolio spanning everything from the Prospector mining platform to the Hull series freighters. The Starlite name suggests a lightweight, possibly starter-adjacent ship optimized for speed and accessibility. MISC concept prices typically range from $80-$150 for single-seat ships.
4.3 Aegis Tiburon (Day 7)
Aegis Dynamics, the UEE Navy's most trusted contractor, unveils the Tiburon. The name, translating from Spanish as "shark," signals an aggressive combat role. Aegis already fields the Eclipse, Retaliator, and Vanguard series in the combat space. The Tiburon may represent a new size class between the Sabre and Vanguard, or a dedicated role specialization such as electronic warfare or long-range interdiction. Aegis concept pricing typically starts at $170-$250 for combat ships.
4.4 Anvil Odin (Day 11) — The Headline Act
This is the reveal that changes the fleet meta. Anvil Aerospace, manufacturer of the F8C Lightning, Carrack, and Hornet series, is unveiling a battlecruiser concept. The Odin enters the capital ship class alongside the Aegis Idris and Javelin, representing Anvil's largest military offering to date. Battlecruisers in Star Citizen bridge the gap between heavy destroyers and full carriers—offering significant firepower, capital-class armor, and the ability to serve as a mobile command platform without requiring the crew count of a full carrier.
Concept pricing for Anvil capital ships is expected in the $1,200-$2,000 range, comparable to the Idris-P ($1,500) and Kraken ($1,650). Limited hull sales are likely, with Concierge early access 24 hours before general availability. This is a collector-grade purchase that will appreciate significantly through development. For backers with the budget and patience for a multi-year development timeline, the Odin represents the highest-value concept-to-flyable arbitrage opportunity since the Kraken.
5. The Ironclad: Drake's Answer to the Heavy Freighter Meta
The Drake Ironclad and Ironclad Assault represent the manufacturer's entry into the heavy freighter class, a segment currently dominated by the MISC Hull series and recently challenged by the Gatac Railen. Drake is positioning the Ironclad as the working captain's freighter: armored, utilitarian, and designed to survive in the roughest systems where other haulers would not dare operate.
The base Ironclad carries an armored cargo hold with a detachable Command Module, borrowing and improving upon the Caterpillar's most distinctive feature. The Assault variant adds reinforced armor, additional weapon hardpoints, and what is described as a military-grade point defense system. Pricing estimates place the base Ironclad at approximately $450 and the Assault at $535, positioning them between the Caterpillar at $330 and the C2 Hercules at $400 in the cargo hierarchy.
For traders evaluating heavy freighters, the Ironclad offers a unique value proposition: Caterpillar-style modularity with significantly more armor and the ability to operate in hostile systems where a Hull C's exposed cargo grid would be suicidal. The trade-off is lower raw cargo capacity than the Hull series and a higher price than the Caterpillar. For operators running routes through Pyro or other lawless systems, the Ironclad's survivability premium may justify the cost.
6. Investment Analysis: What to Buy at DefenseCon
6.1 Highest ROI Picks
| Ship | Type | Concept Price (est.) | Flyable Price (est.) | Appreciation | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anvil Odin | Capital Battlecruiser | $1,200-$2,000 | $1,800-$3,000 | +50-100% | High (3-5 year dev timeline) |
| Drake Ironclad | Heavy Freighter | $450 | $525-$600 | +17-33% | Medium (1-2 years) |
| Ironclad Assault | Assault Freighter | $535 | $625-$700 | +17-31% | Medium (1-2 years) |
| Aegis Tiburon | Combat Ship | $170-$250 | $200-$300 | +18-20% | Medium |
| MISC Starlite | Light Ship | $80-$150 | $100-$175 | +17-25% | Low |
| Drake Pitbull | Ground Vehicle | $50-$80 | $60-$95 | +19-20% | Low |
6.2 Strategy by Backer Type
New Backers: Use DefenseCon to access military ships that are normally gated behind Concierge or limited sales. The F8C Lightning at $300 is available during DefenseCon and represents the best value fighter purchase of the year. Pair it with any Drake starter package to build a combat-capable fleet at entry-level investment.
Traders: The Ironclad concept offers the best cargo investment opportunity since the Railen concept sale. At an estimated $450, the concept-to-flyable appreciation potential is strong, and the ship fills a unique niche—armored heavy freighter—that no flyable ship currently occupies. CCU from a Caterpillar or C2 Hercules if you already own one.
Investors: The Odin is the highest-upside concept purchase of the year. Capital ships appreciate more than any other class from concept to flyable, and Anvil's brand cachet adds a collector premium that Aegis or Drake equivalents do not match. Budget $1,200-$2,000 and expect a 3-5 year holding period.
Collectors: Limited hull sales for the Odin, Tiburon, and Ironclad Assault are expected. Original concept purchases with LTI represent the purest form of ship collecting and carry full melt value and buyback eligibility that CCU'd grey market ships do not.
7. DefenseCon and the Grey Market
Major ship sale events create the best buying opportunities on the secondary market. During DefenseCon, several dynamics converge:
- Warbond CCUs flood the market. Discounted CCUs acquired during the event appear on Star-Hangar, theimpound, and r/Starcitizen_trades within hours of going live. Buying CCUs on the grey market during the event window often beats RSI store pricing for backers who do not need the melt value.
- New concept ships appreciate immediately. The first wave of grey market listings for the Odin, Tiburon, Starlite, and Pitbull will appear within 24 hours of their respective reveals. Early buyers often pay a premium above RSI store price for immediate delivery, but patient buyers can wait for prices to stabilize 1-2 weeks after the event.
- Limited ships resurface. Ships like the F8C Lightning, Kraken, and Idris-P that are only available during events will reappear on the secondary market as sellers list inventory acquired during DefenseCon.
ORONST ORBITAL will monitor grey market pricing throughout the event and update listings accordingly. For buyers seeking the lowest possible entry points on concept ships, the grey market consistently undercuts RSI store pricing on CCU'd versions within days of each reveal.
8. Conclusion: The New May Meta
DefenseCon 2956 is not a side event. It is the new Invictus—bigger, broader, and with a Drake-branded edge that the old military showcase never had. Four new ship concepts, the Ironclad reveal, the Odin battlecruiser, and two weeks of free rentals make this the most important May event in Star Citizen history.
The window to act is now. Concept prices during the event represent the lowest pricing that will ever be available through the RSI store for these ships. Warbond CCU discounts will not return at the same levels until IAE in November. And the grey market will adjust upward within days of the event closing.
Browse our full ship inventory at ORONST ORBITAL →
Disclaimer: Prices and release dates are estimates based on historical patterns and may differ from final RSI store pricing. ORONST ORBITAL is an independent marketplace and is not affiliated with Cloud Imperium Games, Roberts Space Industries, or Drake Interplanetary.
