This page details how to complete the first UC Vanguard quest, Supra et Ultra in Starfield. During this quest, you’ll be required to complete the Vanguard orientation, in which you learn about the history of the factions and complete a Vanguard Pilot Exam.

How to Join the UC Vanguard Faction¶

Joining the UC Vanguard is easy and you’ll get the option to do so during the second main story quest, The Old Neighborhood. All you’ll need to do is speak with Commander John Tuala at the recruitment desk in the MAST building and accept his proposal to join the UC Vanguard. If you’re looking for more information on how to find the UC Vanguard headquarters, head over to our guide on How to Join the UC Vanguard for more specifics!

Supra et Ultra: Quest Walkthrough¶

After accepting the proposal to join the UC Vanguard, you’ll start the Supra et Ultra quest. Once you’ve spoken with Commander John Tuala, proceed over to the elevator and head to the Vanguard Orientation Hall.

Before you can continue into the Orientation Hall, you’ll first need to open up the Vanguard Registration. You’ll need to accept the Enlistment Agreement and provided you don’t have a bounty you’ll be able to sign the agreement and proceed into the hall!

The Orientation Hall is entirely optional, as it acts a bit like a Museum with multiple buttons to press and exhibits to witness. Whilst the whole exhibition can take a while to walk through, we do recommend you listen to at least some of the presentations (by pressing the buttons) to get an idea of the rich lore of the Starfield universe. It will give you information on the rise of the factions and their ideologies, as well as information on past wars and conflicts. If you listen to at least some of the exhibits, you’ll also get some praise from Commander Tuala at the end of your exam. You can also return here at any time if you want a refresh on the history of the factions.

But, if you’re in a rush you can also just zoom through over to the MAST Vanguard Pilot Simulator door to begin your exam.

How to Complete the Vanguard Piloting Exam¶

Once in the next room, proceed up the steps and over to the Flight Simulation. The simulation works like a normal spaceship and all the controls are the same as the spaceship you flew earlier in the game. This simulation allows you to practice your combat skills. To pass the piloting exam, you’ll be required to complete at least three tiers of opponents but you can continue going after the third tier if you’re enjoying the combat practice. You will lose the simulation if your ship’s Hull integrity goes to 0. You can use Ship Parts to repair the ship whilst in the simulation though.

The first tier consists of only one Tier I Simulated Ship. You shouldn’t have too much of an issue taking it down, just ensure it’s kept centered in your HUD so you can lock on to it and use missiles effectively. If you find it hard to keep up with the ship, use your boost to gain a little extra speed.

Tier II consists of two Tier II Simulated Ships, which will have a higher shield and ship health bar. If one of the ships flies off it’ll get a chance to replenish it’s shield so make sure you’re keeping close to the target ship to destroy it quickly. You can also change targets if you’d prefer.

Tier III also consists of two ships, but this time they’re Tier III and have even more health. You might find it trickier to keep these guys in view as they seem to be faster than the others. Try to make full use of boost to keep them in your HUD so you can lock onto them and shoot them down with homing missiles.

If you do fail a tier (possible given that you’re probably still new to the flight mechanics), you’ll get to start again from that same tier! Just exit the pilot seat and press on the simulation board again to reset.

Once you’ve completed the three tiers, you can continue with the simulation or exit as you’ve now completed the exam. If you did fail one of the tiers and had to reset, it won’t actually impact your joining of the UC Vanguard thankfully!

Head over to the elevator and take it to the Lobby where you’ll find Commander Tuala’s office. Speak to him and he’ll take you outside to swear an Oath to the Vanguard. Here you can accept and join the Vanguard, or you could back out if you’re having second thoughts.

When you’re finished with this quest, it’ll begin the next UC Vanguard faction quest, Grunt Work, in which you’re required to speak with the Crew Chief Herath at New Atlantis spaceport to collect some materials that need delivering.