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Elite Dangerous Powerplay Guide: Conquer, Defend, Undermine!

January 29, 2025

Powerplay in Elite Dangerous is the strategic battle for control over star systems, involving factions vying for influence. Whether you’re expanding your Power’s reach, reinforcing its grip, or undermining rivals, understanding the mechanics is key to success. Here’s a breakdown of Powerplay activities, their goals, and how to earn merits efficiently.

🌌 Understanding Powerplay System Types

  1. Acquisition Systems (AS) – Unclaimed systems near a fortified or stronghold system that can be taken over by your Power.
  2. Reinforcement Systems (RS) – Systems already under your Power’s control, where actions can strengthen them against enemy influence.
  3. Undermining Systems (US) – Systems controlled by rival Powers that can be destabilized to weaken their hold.

đź’  Power Ethos & Specialization

Each Power has a preferred set of activities, providing bonus merits when completed. For example:

  • Aisling Duval (A) favors humanitarian efforts and social influence.
  • Archon Delaine (D) relies on piracy and combat.
  • Zemina Torval (ZT) prioritizes trade dominance.

Understanding your Power’s ethos helps maximize efficiency in earning merits.

🖥️ Powerplay Tools & Assistance

Need help tracking Powerplay objectives? Check out Powerplay Assistant for up-to-date system analysis and planning:
đź”— Powerplay Assistant

For a full reference on system types, activities, and strategies, see Ian Doncaster’s Activities Reference Card.

🔹 Powerplay Activities by System Type

🔸 Acquisition Activities (AS)

  • Bounty Hunting: Destroy wanted ships in the system to gain merits. (Favored by ALD, YG, DP, JA)
  • Rescuing Escape Pods: Retrieve and deliver them to a Power Contact in a supporting system. (A, ALD, PA, FW) (Currently suspended for merits)
  • Hacking Holoscreens: Infiltrate advertising screens at ports. (A, ALD, NK, JA, LYR, FW)
  • Power Kills: Eliminate ships aligned with enemy Powers.
  • Commodities & Trade: Sell mined resources, trade for profit, or transport Powerplay goods.

🔸 Reinforcement Activities (RS)

  • Combat Missions: Defend the system by hunting bounties, eliminating threats, and scanning enemy data.
  • Resource Contribution: Hand in exploration data, mined materials, or biological research to strengthen the system.
  • Infrastructure Support: Complete aid and humanitarian missions to fortify your Power’s presence.
  • Defensive Actions: Hack holoscreens back to Power control, restore systems, and disable enemy influence.

🔸 Undermining Activities (US)

  • Sabotage & Hacking: Infiltrate enemy-controlled settlements, steal Powerplay data, and upload malware.
  • Disrupt Trade & Security: Undermine by selling low-value goods, committing crimes, or targeting enemy ships.
  • Targeted Combat: Bounty hunt in enemy space, assassinate Power-aligned ships, or disable security installations.
  • Data Theft: Retrieve classified, political, or industrial data from enemy-controlled outposts.

 

 

Whether you pledge loyalty to a Power or just want to disrupt the galaxy, mastering Powerplay mechanics will help you shape the fate of the universe. Fly safe, Commanders! 🛸✨

⚠️ Key Updates & Suspensions

  • Merits for Escape Pods, Rare Goods, and some Data Transfers were suspended on 19/11/2024.
  • Odyssey settlement data merits were restored on 21/11/2024, but others remain meritless.
  • Merits for some activities, like bounty hunting and trade, have been increased.

The new Powerplay Assistant web app is now live, designed to streamline your Powerplay tasks by identifying suitable systems and providing clear instructions.

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