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SaltEMike Reacts to Star Citizen | Behind the Ships: Gatac Railen
⏱ 18 min video · 2 min read11 Jun 2026
TL;DR
SaltEMike reacts to CIG's Behind the Ships video for the Gatac Railen, an alien medium cargo hauler. He breaks down the ship's key design changes, cargo mechanics, and interior, ultimately concluding it's more functional than expected but not personally compelling due to his disinterest in cargo hauling gameplay.
Key points
1
The Gatac Railen's original triangular cargo containers have been replaced with standardized cargo grids — the triangular panels are now deployable armored shields that protect exterior cargo, solving the legacy design problem elegantly.
2
Cargo capacity was increased from 320 to 640 SCU with the redesign, and two tractor beam turrets mounted on the rear legs allow two crew members to load/unload cargo independently.
3
The ship features a three-story interior with alien-style vertical layout, Xian hab pods (requiring a crawl-in animation), waterfalls in the mess hall, and catering for both Xian and human crew.
4
SaltEMike estimates the ship will cost around 400 USD in the pledge store, factoring in its cargo capacity advantage over the Hull B (280 USD post-launch) and an 'alien tax'.
5
Mike prefers the Hull B visually and notes that cargo ships in general don't excite him because current game loops (mining, salvaging) don't make high-capacity cargo ships meaningful for his playstyle.
Key arguments
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The standardized cargo grid swap means the Railen supports any standard cargo mission without custom containers — a significant QoL improvement over the original concept.
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The armored triangle shields over cargo beds create a hybrid interior/exterior cargo system, offering both easy loading and physical cargo protection — a unique mechanic worth noting for PvP cargo scenarios.
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With 640 SCU, strong firepower, and likely better maneuverability as an alien ship, the Railen could be a meta cargo/combat hybrid — but only if CIG improves broader cargo gameplay loops.
Notable quotes
“I love the Hull B, but I don't use it. I love the Hull C, but I don't use it. I love the Ironclad, but I don't use it — because we're moving like one SCU. That's it.”
“Cargo ships just don't excite me as much as they used to. But yeah, beautiful though. Beautiful.”
“Not going to lie, I did not think I was going to come here wanting this ship, but the functionality is making me want it more than the look.”
Worth watching?
⏭️
Worth watching the full video?
Skip the video — all the key design details, cargo mechanics, and Mike's honest take are captured here; only watch if you want to see the actual ship footage or hear Mike's live reactions.
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