Elite Dangerous: How To Get Guardian Vessel Blueprints

Players of Elite Dangerous who want to take their spacefaring adventures to the next level may want to consider acquiring various vessels to prepare for any situation. Moreover, Elite Dangerous players eager to dominate the endgame would like some of the best vessels in their arsenal, with ancient technology from the Guardians holding the key to some of the more efficient ships in the game.

Taking the form of Guardian Vessels, these ships from ancient times were recreated through Guardian Vessel Blueprints that players can acquire from Guardian Beacons scattered across the Milky Way Galaxy. However, just how can players acquire these coveted items without wasting their time navigating deep space?

Why Get Guardian Vessel Blueprints

With space travel being an integral paspects of getting ships in Elite Dangerous, it’s no surprise that players need to focus on acquiring the best spacecraft for both exploration and combat.However, on top of their main ships are Vessels or smaller ships that serve various purposes, and having the right ships in one’s arsenal can ensure players are equipped with the right resources to tackle any threats.

Unlike other Vessels in the game, Guardian Vessels are recreations of ancient Guardian spaceships based on Blueprints the players manage to gather from ancient sites. In turn, their designs can vastly differ from typical ships but have similar functions that don’t make it challenging to integrate them into one’s roster of Vessels. As with other components and items in Elite Dangerous, players need to acquire Guardian Vessel Blueprints first before being able to unlock and craft these ships via the Technology Broker. And to add another layer of excitement, players must acquire Guardian Vessel Blueprint Fragments to create these Blueprints first.

Guardian Vessel Unlocks

Should players get enough Guardian Vessel Blueprint Fragments, they should be able to access many Guardian Vessel options for their perusal. Depending on their choice of Guardian Vessel, they may be able to tap into small Elite Dangerous ships that can become their go-to vehicle for special tasks in outer space. Here are the Guardian Vessels available for creation:

XG7 Trident: This is a Ship-Launched Fighter that resulted from Engineer Ram Tah's combination of human and Guardian technology. Its light hull makes it extremely fast, but its lack of a durable hull means it has weak defenses.
XG8 Javelin: This Ship-Launched Fighter is an improvement to the Trident, boasting maneuverability and speed but also possesses a rather weak frame. Instead of the Triden's plasma weapon, the Javelin has a shard weapon for long-distance incursions.
XG9 Lance: Another creation of Engineer Ram Tah, this Ship-Launched Fighter is again a speed-reliant craft similar to both the Trident and the Javelin. However, the gauss weapons of the Lance make it a more viable combat option should players learn how to ease their way past this Fighter's weak defenses.

Guardian Vessel Blueprint Fragments

Materials being harvested from Guardian Sites

As previously mentioned, Elite Dangerous space traders and even mercenaries can only access Guardian Vessels via their Blueprints, which in turn are created from Fragments. Unlike other parts, however, players can only get Guardian Vessel Blueprint Fragments from Ancient Data Terminal Sites. It's only after players get these parts that they can acquire the actual blueprints, which then tasks them to look for specific materials in order to get these Vessels created.

Unfortunately, due to all Vessel Blueprints being accessible through the same Fragments, players need to grind their way into farming the Fragments to access all Vessels. This is on top of the chance that players may also be interested in acquiring Fragments to create Blueprints for Guardian Modules and Guardian Weapons.

The Quest For Guardian Vessels: Ancient Data Terminal Sites

Similar to other rare items in the game, Guardian Vessel Blueprints and their Fragments are much harder to find compared to ordinary craftable items. Like its fellow Guardian Module and Weapon counterparts, players can only get Guardian Vessel Blueprint Fragments from Ancient Data Terminal Sites located inside Guardian Structures. While similar to the dilapidated Ancient Ruins, Guardian Structures are intact but abandoned sites with Guardian technology that represent the height of their civilization. While without sentient life, these Guardian Structures are still protected by Guardian Sentinels.

Take Note Of Planets

Unlike other craftable items that have their materials scattered all over the Milky Way Galaxy, Guardian Vessels in Elite Dangerous gameplay have their parts scattered in specific Guardian Structures located in specific planets. Players need to take note which planets not only have Guardian Structures but also materials specific to Guardian Vessels in order to have an easier time creating them. Here are planets to take note of:

Synuefe EU-Q c21-15 (Planet A1)
NGC 2451A Sector VJ-R c4-22 (Planet A1)
Synuefe AH-J d10-103 (Planet B1)
Synuefe IL-N c23-19 (Planet B2)
Synuefe AH-J d10-20 (Planet A3)
IC 2391 Sector FL-X b1-7 (Planet A3)
Synuefe PF-E b45-5 (Planet B2)
HIP 36781 (Planet A6b)
Synuefe ZG-J d10-79 (Planet B1)
Synuefe EN-H d11-96 (Planet 7A)
Synuefe AH-J d10-46 (Planet C1)

Constructing Guardian Vessels: The Items Needed

As with other items in Elite Dangerous gameplay, players who want to create Guardian Vessels don't just need Blueprints but also the necessary materials to craft them. Thankfully, much of the materials needed for Guardian technology are also available in planets where the Blueprint Fragments are found. Regardless, fans may want to take note what items they might need in advance so they know what kinds of items they need to acquire in order to have a much smoother farming process. Here are some of those items and where they're usually found:

Manufactured Material

One of the most important components of creating Guardian Vessels are Manufactured Materials, which are the same materials players need in the Engineering part of Elite Dangerous. While they are easy to find within the game, certain Manufactured Materials for Guardian Vessels are located in Guardian Structures. Here are some of these materials that players need for Guardian Vessels:

Pattern Obelisk Data: Scanning Ancient Obelisks become Encoded Materials called Pattern Obelisk Data, which are named after letters of the Greek Alphabet
Guardian Sentinel Wreckage Component: When players destroy Guardian Sentinels, these Wreckage Components may be available
Guardian Sentinel Weapon Parts: Destroying Guardian Sentinels may yield Guardian Sentinel Weapon Parts
Guardian Power Cell: Guardian Structuures have Destructible Panels that may have Power Cells
Guardian Technology Component: These are usually available when players use Destructible Planets in Guardian Structures

Commodities

Similar to the item type needed for general recipes in Elite Dangerous gameplay, Commodities are regular items found in almost any Station Market. Players should simply go to a market that has a Commodities Market in order to search for the particular type of Commodity they need to accommodate their Guardian Vessel of choice.

Guardian Vessel Farming Route

Players who want to create Guardian Vessels for their Elite Dangerous gameplay need to create a farming route that they can repeatedly follow in order to have an easier time collecting these materials. That's because unlike usual farming processes, the specific mechanics inside Guardian Structures make grinding for Guardian Vessel materials feel more like a mini-game.

Although Synuefe NL-N C23-4 (Planet B3) is one of the more ideal farming locations due to its abundance in Guardian materials, players who want an easier time farming for items still need to consider a few things.

The Farming Requirements

The Diamondback preparing for exploration

Before players dash their way to any of the planets above to farm for their Guardian Vessels, they need to first take note of what kind of items and vehicles they need to prepare. When gearing up to farm for Guardian materials, they need the following:

Diamondback Explorer: Although the Diamondback isn't a necessity, any vehicle that has a far-enough jump range should be viable for farming since the farming process is time-sensitive.
SRV x2: Players need an SRV for both combat and surveillance purposes
Point Defence Systems: Players should use Point Defence Systems in Utility Slots as these are majorly used to deal with Guardian Sentinels they may find in the planets
SRV Synthesis Materials: Some Guardian Structures need synthesis materials in order to activate them. Players need to bring at least 14x Sulfur, 8x Phosphorus, 6x Nickel, and 6x Iron

Doing The Farming

A vehicle farming for Guardian Weapon Blueprint Fragments

When players have the above items at the ready, they can proceed to the grind for Guardian Vessel Blueprints. Each run should last around 30 minutes depending on how efficient players are with executing each step. While planets may have different Guardian Structure layouts perfect for Elite Dangerous exploration, the process of farming them usually follows this process:

Activate the timer: When players begin their farming journey, they may want to explore the Guardian Structure first to get a better sense of their surroundings. After that, their first course of action should be to find an Unraised Pylon and step on the "X" near it. This will trigger the Pylon and release Guardian Sentinels, which players should kill and acquire its dropped items. After defeating the Structures, the Pylon will be ready for activation. Afterwards, this shoots a light beam to the sky and trigger a Timer.
Scan Pylons: The next part of the farming process is to scan available Pylons that have ancient symbols and glowing blue obelisks. SRV Data Scanners must be used to scan them in order to release Pattern Data.
Charge Pylons: Alongside the scanning of Pylon data, players should also charge Pylons whenever prompted. While this releases Guardian Sentinels to once again attack players, their drops can help players get more materials for crafting.
Secure the Ancient Relic: During the player's trip around the planet, towers will rise from the ground. Players should be able to destroy one of them, releasing an Ancient Relic that stops the timer.
Activate the Ancient Relic: When the timer stops, players should check for a machine where they can activate the Ancient Relic. This should release a blue globe, which players should scan with their SRV Data Scanner.
Destroy the towers: When the globe mechanism is activated, the towers around the site will glow blue. Players should destroy these and secure its item drops.
Repeat Farming: Players can then repeat this farming cycle by getting out of the location and logging out from a few hundred meters away. When they log in again, the Guardian Structure should be available for reactivation once more.